
Author 



Title 



Imprint 



16—47372-3 QPO 



\J 



WRECK OF THE GLIDE; 



/ 



WITH AN ACCOUNT OF 



LIFE AND MANNERS 



AT THE 



FIJI I ISLANDS. 









:*ry I 



BOSTON: 
WILLIAM D. TICKNOR & CO, 

No. 135 Washington Street. 



1846. 

No-/ < 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1346, 

BY WILLIAM G. DIX, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 



Stereotyped by 
GEORGE A. CURTIS; 

MEW ENOLAND TTPE AND STEREOTTPS FOrrNt>ar. 






© 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I 



Departure — Storm — Tropical calms — Good Hope — New-Zealand — 
English whale-ships — Trade with the natives — Their dress — Wea- 
pons — Dwellings — War dance — Visit of Pomare — Ship six New- 
Zealanders — Departure. 

CHAPTER II. 

Friendly Islands — Appearance of the natives — Eooa — Tongataboo — 
Sail for Fijii Islands— Nerei — Coro — Sail for Tacanova — Dangerous 
navigation — The Glide strikes a rock — Arrival at the Bay of Miam- 
booa — Quill's arrival — Incident in a boat — Repair the ship — Beche- 
de-la-mer ; manner of curing it — Tortoise shell — Sandal- wood. 

CHAPTER III. 

A business scene — The Quill sails — The Glide — A New-Zealander 
leaves the ship — An Albino — Visit of Timbooa — Death of Richard- 
son — Loss of our batter-house — Sail for Nungalooa — Arrival and 
trade with the natives — Loss of our second batter- house — Fill out 
the cargo — Set fire to the buildings — Sail for Manilla — Obliged to 
return — Encounter a storm — Sail for Miambooa — Leave the islands. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Tacanova — Bratta — Overlou — Soma- Soma — Bou — Soil — Climate — 
Villages — Dwellings — Canoes — The natives — Mode of wearing 
the hair — Their dress — Ornaments — Barbarous customs — Wars — 
Religion. 

CHAPTER V. 
Arrival at Luzon — Severe thunder-storm — A visit from the telegraph 
station — Anchorage off Civete — Description of that place — The 
peasantry — Fourth of July— Sail for Manilla— Appearance of the 
city — River Pasig — Fort — Aborigines — Chinese — Their dress, 
food, mechanical skill ; their junks — Spanish, English, and American 
residents — The schooner Antarctic — The Glide sails for the Sandwich 
Islands. 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VI. 

An American whale-ship — Arrival at Maui — Lahaina — A missionary 
meeting — Respect shown by the natives for the Sabbath — Departure 

— Owyhee — Penrhyn's Island — Attacked by the natives — Narrow 
escape of the captain — Perilous situation — The Glide fills away. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Arrival at Coro — Loss of the brig Fawn — Sail for Overlou ; arrive there 
and commence trade — David Whelpy — The King of Bou and his 
warriors — Relieve four shipwrecked Englishmen — A severe storm — 
Massacre of two men — Sail for Miambooa. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Arrival at Miambooa — Intelligence concerning our New-Zealanders — 
Sail for Nungalooa — Another disaster — Sail for Bonne Rarah — Oc- 
cupation — The king — Santa Beeta — Important event. 

CHAPTER IX. 
Santa Beeta — The captain and others leave the wreck — Their mishaps 

— Natives come aboard — Remainder of the crew leave the ship — 
Savages encountered — Stop for the night — Resume our journey — 
Reach Bonne Rarah — A missing shipmate — Account of Mr. William 
Carey. 

CHAPTER X. 

Visit the wreck and return — A council of natives — The priest — Kind- 
ness of the king — The Boore — The captain sails for Bou — Com- 
mence house-keeping — Intercourse with the natives — The moun- 
taineers — Books — A play — Ways of passing time. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Amusements of the natives — Excursion to the interior of the island — 
Reception by the natives — Return — General account of a Fijiian 
festival attended by the crew — Burning of the ship — Intelligence of 
the loss of the brig Niagara — Others of the crew leave for Bou. 



WRECK OF THE GLIDE. 



CHAPTER I. 



Departure — Storm — Tropical Calms — Good Hope — New-Zealand — Eng- 
lish Whaleships — Trade with the Natives — Their dress — Weapons — 
Dwellings — War Dance — Visit of Pomare — Ship six New-Zealanders — 
Departure. 

The Glide, owned by the late Joseph Peabody, Esq., 
and commanded by Captain Henry Archer, sailed from 
Salem for the South Pacific, on the twenty-second day of 
May, 1829. Her crew were mostly young men, some of 
whom were entering, for the first time, on a sailor's life, 
exchanging the comforts of home for the rough berth and 
coarse fare of the forecastle, and the courtesies of friends 
for submission to the authority of the quarter-deck. 

As we sailed slowly out of the harbor, little did our 
joyous crew think, that the Glide was taking her final 
departure from that port, where she had so often arrived, 
laden with the treasures of other climes for her wealthy 
proprietor, and that, as we passed the lighthouse, some 
of our number would never be cheered by seeing it again. 

By sunset, the coast of my native land was but dimly 
2 



14 STORM. 

seen in the distance, and, on the following morning, for 
the first time in my life, I was fairly at sea. The asso- 
ciations connected with one's first voyage, cannot be ad- 
equately expressed. Though he feels, on his departure, 
that the vessel is every moment bearing him farther and 
farther from his native land, — from home and relatives 
and friends, yet, when the last faint speck of land has 
disappeared, and the wide waste of waters is actually 
spread out before him, the new and varied scenes which 
he beholds, fill his mind with pleasurable emotions. Sun- 
rise and sunset, never so glorious as 'at sea, the waters 
that sustain his bark, the breeze that wafts it onward, 
the unerring magnet, the constellations that assist his 
course, and the stillness of night, broken only by the 
sound of winds and waves, bring constantly before him 
the majesty and superintendency of God. The sailor, 
though wayward and profane, is constrained to reverence 
the Almighty architect. 

Nothing worthy of note occurred, until, on nearing the 
outer edge of the gulf-stream, we experienced our first 
severe gale. Our lighter spars were sent down, and sail 
after sail was reefed or furled, until the ship wore nothing 
but her storm-dress. 

Would the landsman know anything of a storm at sea, 
he must gather his knowledge, not from description, but 
experience. He must be called up from his slum- 
bers at midnight, climb the loftiest mast, and look from 
that giddy height upon his little bark rushing impetu- 
ously through the foaming billows. Amidst the slatting 
of sails and ropes, the creaking of masts and yards, he 
must hear the quick orders of the officers and the respon- 
ses of the crew. He must witness the men hurrying aloft, 
the reefing and furling of sails, the careering of the ship, 
and the inrushing of the sea. 



TROPICAL CALMS. 15 

Of all mariners, the most deserving of sympathy is the 
young sailor, as he stands bewildered during a storm. 
He hears the orders sounding through the shrill trumpet, 
as if something must be done now or never, but has not 
yet learned their meaning. He is expected to act with 
the promptness and decision of the veteran mariner. 
Distracted and perplexed, yet eager to do his duty, he 
reels this way and that, seizes this and that rope, trem- 
bles as he climbs the slippery shrouds, and, after doing 
his best, is hazed by his shipmates from whom he expect- 
ed kindness, and by his officers, who, he hoped, would 
make allowance for his inexperience, and to whom he 
looked for protection and advice. 

In the neighborhood of the Equator, the crew were put 
on an allowance of five pints of water to a man. The 
supply was small for men toiling under the heat of a trop- 
ical sun, and subsisting upon salt provisions. Nor was 
the water very agreeable. Fortunately, we had been 
but a few days in this situation, when, thick clouds aris- 
ing, screened us from the brassy heavens, and poured 
their grateful contents upon the deck. No orders 
from the officers were necessary to bestir the men, to 
secure the treasure, for every one was impatient to do 
his duty. The rain fell in torrents and continuously for 
several hours, during which time the crew were busily 
employed in conveying the water from the quarter-boats 
to the casks below. Thus timely relieved, our energies 
received new life, and a fresh impulse was given to things. 

Whilst within the tropics, our progress was much im- 
peded by frequent calms, which greatly discouraged us. 
Indeed nothing is so vexatious to a sailor as a calm at 
sea. Much as he dreads to encounter a storm, he, nev- 
ertheless prefers the storm itself with all its din and toil 
and danger, to the tedious monotony of a calm; for, in the 



16 GOOD HOPE. 

former case, the ship still holds on her way, whilst, in the 
latter, she rolls lazily with every swell, and is likely to 
be carried out of her course by opposing currents. He 
watches anxiously for the least sign of a breeze, that 
shall refill his sluggish sails, and speed him on again. 

As we sailed southward, after leaving Capricorn, the 
changes from warm to cold weather grew daily more 
sensible, and reminded us of our approach towards win- 
try regions, and of the necessity of preparing for coming 
storms. Every night the sky presented a new aspect ; 
the constellations of the north gradually receded, and 
those of the south slowly advanced above the horizon. 

The voyager to the south watches with peculiar pen- 
siveness the sentinel of the northern sky retreating be- 
fore the constellations of the south, and, when, at last, 
he has sunk below the horizon, and a strange host of 
stars appear above him, he feels forsaken by a guardian 
friend. 

In passing Good Hope, we were not unvisited by its 
usual tokens of regard for the comfort of the mariner, in 
the shape of frequent storms of hail and snow. Great 
are the hardships which sailors usually experience in 
doubling the southern capes in the winter months, and 
we had our share of them. No fire or light cheers their 
humble forecastle. On deck, they are unsheltered from 
the driving sleet; and the ice upon the shrouds and rat- 
lines renders their going aloft difficult and dangerous. 
A succession of westerly gales, which continued with lit- 
tle cessation for several weeks, enabled us to make very 
rapid progress. The Glide bounded from wave to wave 
with the ease and swiftness of a race-horse. 

In the latter part of August, we came in sight of Van 
Diemen's land. Whilst passing its southern extremity, 
a singular-looking animal was discovered about a hun- 



NEW-ZEALAND. 17 

dred yards distant on the starboard bow, making directly 
for us. He passed leisurely along, within a few yards 
astern. One of the crew positively affirmed the monster 
was a mermaid, but, from the appearance of his head, 
we concluded that it was a sea-lion. 

On the fourteenth day of September, the bold promon- 
tories of the northern coast of New-Zealand were seen in 
the distance. The sight of firm land, and the prospect 
of speedily coming to anchor, after so long confinement 
on shipboard, rejoiced our hearts, and made even New- 
Zealand, which had ever been associated in our minds 
with all that is barbarous and inhuman in savage life, by 
no means an unwelcome sight. 

On the seventeenth, after experiencing some difficulty 
in ascertaining the entrance to the port, we anchored in 
the bay of islands, after a passage of 117 days from Sa- 
lem. The presence of several English whale-ships in 
the harbor helped to relieve the most timid of us from 
any feeling of insecurity from the treachery of the na- 
tives. As we were beating up the channel, several of 
the officers of these whalers came on board, accompa- 
nied with several Wesleyan missionaries. 

None but those who have experienced the irksomeness 
of a long voyage, can sympathize with the joy occasioned 
by our arrival in port, after traversing the sea for so 
long a period. How readily and pleasurably does the 
acute sense of the long voyager perceive the land breeze! 
and, wearied by the incessant motion of the ship and the 
sameness of objects around him, how eagerly he antici- 
pates a ramble ashore! 

New-Zealand consists of two large islands, lying be- 
tween 35° and 46° south latitude. The harbor of the 
Bay of Islands is much frequented by foreign vessels. 



18 TRADE WITH THE NATIVES. 

The regions along the northern part of the coast are 
mountainous. 

Whilst in port, our English friends did not neglect us, 
nor we them. Here and elsewhere in the Pacific, I no- 
ticed a kind spirit existing between English and Ameri- 
can seamen. They lose sight of national prejudices in 
common pursuits and common dangers, and, so far as I 
have seen, treat each other with courtesy and kindness. 
May it ever be so. 

Many of the natives came off to us, and well-supplied 
us with fresh provisions, amongst which were hogs, fowls 
and sweet potatoes. In exchange for tobacco, beads, 
knives and other articles, some of the crew received fine 
war-spears, canoe-paddles, and shawls wrought from na- 
tive flax. For a mere trifle of tobacco, the value of two 
or three cents, many of the natives bartered the very 
paddles with which they had paddled their canoes from 
the shore, and even their garments. On one occasion, 
one of the crew being much annoyed by the entreaties of 
the savages for " bacco, bacco," used this expedient to 
get rid of them. Taking from his pocket a small piece 
of the weed, he held it up before them, and then tossed it 
suddenly into the sea. Instantly, half-a-dozen savages 
dived after it, like so many dogs. Their search, however, 
was fruitless, and the last one who rose to the surface 
bled copiously at the nose, from having been so long 
under water. 

Were it not for the hideous custom of tattooing the 
exposed parts of the body, the personal appearance of 
these natives would not be so repulsive as that of many 
of the islanders of the South Pacific. Their complexion 
is a light copper color; they are tall and well-propor- 
tioned; their features are regular, and their hair is very 



THEIR DRESS. — DWELLINGS. — -WEAPONS. 19 

black and kept glossy by the frequent application of 
train-oil. 

The style of their dress is nearly uniform, but varies in 
richness, according to the individual's rank or means. 
Their garments are mostly made of native flax, and are 
curious specimens of ingenuity. The finest are worn by 
the chiefs. Those worn by the lower classes are made 
of coarser material, and resemble matting. They are 
worn over the shoulders like a shawl, and cover nearly 
the whole person. 

Their spears and paddles evince much skill in their 
construction. The wood, of which they are made, is of a 
reddish brown and very hard; when polished, it looks like 
mahogany. These articles are profusely ornamented 
with carved-work. The devices on them are wrought 
by shells and stones. 

Their huts are, for the most part, situated within fifty 
or sixty yards of high-water mark, and are exceedingly 
wretched abodes. They are generally not more than six 
feet high, are thatched with grass, and have but one door, 
which is so low, as to oblige one to stoop considerably 
in order to enter. Above the door is a small opening, 
made for the purpose of letting the light into the hut, and 
the smoke out of it. Surrounding the habitation, and two 
or three yards from it, stakes are driven into the ground, 
of sufficient height, strength and compactness, to keep 
out the swine, which are here suffered to go at large. 
The interior is no less wretched than the outside. A few 
coarse mats, some bowls and calabashes of train-oil, are 
the only articles to be seen in many of them. 

Their war-dance is truly a frightful performance. I 
once witnessed a mock exhibition of this dance, by some 
of the natives, on the deck of the Glide. The hideous 
contortions and tiger-like ferocity of their faces, the roll- 



20 WAR DANCE. VISIT OF POMARE. 

ing about of their distended eye-balls, the gnashing and 
grinding of their teeth, together with their extraordinary- 
dexterity in brandishing their clubs, presented a specta- 
cle truly appalling. No other similar exhibition which I 
observed in the Pacific, was at all comparable to this in 
frightfulness. If this dance, when performed for the sake 
of amusement, be so dreadful; as an act of hostility, it 
must be inexpressibly terrific. 

These savages manifested no backwardness in appro- 
priating to themselves whatever they could lay their hands 
upon, without being seen. Although a sharp lookout was 
kept, rarely a day passed, that something was not missed. 
The cook complained of losing his "pokers," and the 
crew, of losing their tin-pots and jack-knives. Nor is 
this the worst of their offences, for they violate with a 
high hand, the spirit of the whole decalogue. 

The natives devote but little time to the cultivation of 
the land, and subsist chiefly on fish, which abounds all 
along the coast. The principal vegetable used for food, 
is the fern-root. It is baked in an oven, and is regarded 
as a great luxury. 

Among other visitors was a chief, who, as I was in- 
formed by an Englishman who came aboard, was sup- 
posed to have been concerned in the massacre of the 
ship Boyd's crew at this island. Some of the particu- 
lars of this tragedy were related to me by foreigners res- 
ident at New-Zealand. This chief was a man of very 
powerful frame, and of an exceedingly repulsive appear- 
ance. Perhaps I cannot convey a better idea of this per- 
sonage, than by citing an observation of the cook's re- 
specting him. " There, that fellow looks as though he 
could devour any one of us without salt." 

Sept. 20. We were this day visited by Pomare, the 
principal chief of this part of the island, accompanied 



ENGLISH MISSION STATION. 21 

with his royal consort. His majesty was attired in an 
elegantly wrought shawl, which hung gracefully over his 
shoulders and covered nearly his whole person. He 
was very tall, his hair of raven black, his features hand- 
some and intelligent, his form symmetrical and erect. On 
his face, arms, and breast, were tattooed many curious 
devices, such as fishes, ships, trees, and almost every 
kind of curves and angles. His consort was tattooed in 
much the same way as his majesty, and was rather come- 
ly. Their appearance was in admirable keeping with 
their superior rank. 

The English have a large missionary station at this 
place. It is situated on the north-eastern side of the 
bay, and is well guarded by a fort. The missionaries 
have succeeded tolerably well in civilizing the natives, 
and especially in checking the horrible practice of canni- 
balism, which is now of less frequent occurrence than 
formerly. We are not to judge of the first success of 
missionaries in any part of the world so much from the 
actual progress made by those, to whom they are sent, in 
civilization and religion, as from the thoroughness with 
which their old prejudices and superstitious notions are 
eradicated. The greatest obstruction in influencing all 
men is removed, when their minds have become prepared 
for the presentation of the truth. 

Whilst on a visit ashore, with some of my shipmates, 
and rambling about the various parts of the island, I had 
an extensive and beautiful prospect from one of the high- 
lands, of the bay and the surrounding country. Yonder, 
at her anchorage, lay our gallant ship, around which 
gathered so many pleasant associations. Far in the dis- 
tance, and on the opposite side of the bay, was seen the 
neat white mission-house of the English Wesleyans, con- 
trasting strongly with the rude dwellings of the natives, 



22 SHIP SIX NEW-ZEALANDERS. DEFARTURE. 

which were scattered along the margin of the sea; and, 
in a moral view, appearing like a sun amidst heathen 
darkness. Immense forests skirted the horizon; and 
amidst the distant vallies and plains, rose the dim outline 
of many lofty mountains. 

In the fastnesses of those mountains, thought I, how 
many tribes of savages have their haunts ; how often have 
their death-fires been kindled, and their cannibal orgies 
celebrated ! These reflections brought on me an invol- 
untary shuddering. But, when my eye rested on the 
distant mission-house, it occurred to me that all might 
yet be well with New-Zealand, that the abominations of 
heathenism might yet give place to the practises of civil- 
ized life, that houses of worship might be erected and 
reasonable devotion paid to God, and that, instead of the 
war-dance and war-song, there might at some time ascend 
the praises of the Most High. 

Tuesday, September 22. We were employed this day 
in getting water and wood, and in getting ready for sea. 
In the afternoon, the British frigate, Success, arrived 
from Port Jackson. 

On the next day, Captain Archer secured the services 
of six New-Zealanders, to assist us whilst we should re- 
main in the Pacific. What the conditions of the bargain 
were, I do not know, but the natives seemed well enough 
satisfied with it. They were provided with comfortable 
clothing, and were evidently pleased with the notion of a 
voyage. 

Thursday, September 24. The Glide, after remaining 
about a week at the Bay of Islands, steered to the north- 
east, intending to touch at Tongataboo, in order to lay 
in a good store of provisions. As the ship was going out 
of the harbor, our six New-Zealanders manifested the 
strongest emotion at parting with their friends, who had 



FRIENDLY ISLANDS. THE NATIVES. 23 

come on board to take leave of them. In their parox- 
ysms of grief, they poured forth the most dismal wailing, 
and tears fell, thick and fast, down their tattooed faces. 



CHAPTER II. 

Friendly Islands — Appearance of the Natives — Eooa — Tongataboo — Sail 
for Fijii Islands — Nerei — Coro — Sail for Tacanova — Dangerous navi- 
gation — The Glide strikes a rock — Arrival at the bay of Miambooa — 
Quill's arrival — Incident in a boat — Repair the ship — Beche-le-mer ; 
manner of curing it — Tortoise-shell — Sandal-wood. 

On the sixth of October, the Glide arrived at Eooa, 
one of the Friendly Islands. As we came near, many 
natives were observed approaching the ship in their ca- 
noes, notwithstanding the freshness of the breeze and 
the heavy swell of the sea. If it excited our admiration 
to see these little canoes, now on the top of a huge wave, 
and now almost buried in the trough of the sea, and pro- 
pelled by the strong arms of the natives, they, in turn, 
must have admired the Glide, with her comparatively 
gigantic proportions, as she advanced steadily and grace- 
fully towards them under a cloud of sail, and " like a thing 
of life." If the wharves of our cities are sometimes 
crowded with delighted spectators, as a fine vessel under 
full sail comes up the harbor, with what sensations must 
a savage regard the unaccustomed sight of a stately ship ! 

After the natives had come alongside, we obtain- 
ed of them various kinds of tropical vegetables and 
fruits, as yams, bread-fruit, cocoa-nuts, shaddocks and 
plantains; also some artificial curiosities, as war-spears, 
clubs, cloth, and fish-hooks ingeniously made of tor- 



24 EOOA. TONGATABOO. 

toise-shell and mother of pearl. Their clubs are of vari- 
ous sizes, of the hardest wood, and ornamented with 
sennit and carved work. Their spears are very long 
and lancet-shaped, and have barbed fish-bones skilfully 
affixed to their points. 

None of the savages whom I saw in eight different 
groups of islands in the Pacific, surpassed the Eooans in 
personal comeliness. Their complexion is a beautiful 
red, and without the dinginess so common to other isl- 
anders of these seas. They are strong and tall; their 
features are regular, and their deportment is dignified 
and manly. 

Eooa is a beautiful island. It is small, and its surface 
is pleasantly diversified. Towards the interior, the ground 
rises in gentle elevations, which are covered with tropi- 
cal fruits, such as cocoa-nut. and bread-fruit trees, which, 
whilst we were there, were bending with delicious fruit. 
Its shores are without those bold headlands which are so 
common to many of the Polynesian islands. The fertility 
of the soil we inferred from the rich verdure of the land- 
scape, and the abundance of fruits and vegetables with 
which the natives supplied us. 

Tongataboo, within a few miles of Eooa, is much the 
largest and most important island in the group. It is 
about an hundred miles in circumference, and is much 
frequented by whaleships for the purpose of obtaining 
water and fresh provisions. There were several Eng- 
lish Wesleyans on the island at that time, but of the 
success of their missionary operations I learned noth- 
ing. Recent information respecting them is exceed- 
ingly inauspicious; the natives having conspired against 
the missionaries, and expelled them from the island. 

Having concluded our trade with the natives, we sailed 
for the Fijii islands, distant about three hundred miles, in 



SAIL FOR FIJII ISLANDS. 25 

a north-westerly direction. Furnished with an abund- 
ance of fresh provisions, and favored with pleasant 
weather and prosperous winds, we were now enjoying 
the bright side of a sailor's life. 

The common sailor can dispense well enough with the 
conveniences of the cabin, and the delicacies of the cap- 
tain's table, provided he has a close forecastle, and sub- 
stantial food. But when the rights guaranteed him by 
the laws of his country and the articles of shipment are 
invaded; when his food is curtailed only to gratify the 
caprice of his master, (as is often the case,) who can 
wonder that his passions are aroused, and manifested in 
unlawful ways? The subordination of the crew is neces- 
sary for peace, good order and efficiency, but, then, it 
should be remembered, that the rights of the crew as 
men should be regarded, as well as their duties as sail- 
ors. The principle, advocated, at least practically, by 
many sea captains, that at sea there is no law but that of 
the quarter-deck, without recognizing that higher law 
which extends its protecting arm alike over the seaman 
and the landsman, is unjust and absurd. 

After two or three days, the Glide arrived at Nereis 
one of the Fijiis. This island appeared to be from fif- 
teen to twenty miles in circumference, rather hilly than 
mountainous, and to be a beautiful, verdant spot. From 
the natives we obtained a large stock of fruits, vegeta- 
bles, and hogs. For a common musket, worth two or 
three dollars, we obtained a dozen large hogs, and, for a 
pair of scissors or a jacknife, a bunch of plantains and 
from thirty to forty cocoa-nuts. Thus it will be seen 
that the provisioning of a vessel at these islands is no ex- 
pensive matter. To the credit of Captain A. be it said, 
that his crew had no reason to complain of the quantity or 
quality of their food. They fared sumptuously every day. 
3 



26 NEREI. CORO. SAIL FOR TACANOVA. 

The gratifying intelligence was communicated to us by 
the natives, that a vessel had been seen among the isl- 
ands. 

Leaving Nerei, the next island at which we arrived 
was Coro. This island, from observations made at this 
time and subsequently, I judged to be about twenty miles 
in circumference. Its highlands, intersected by numer- 
ous deep and dark ravines, or divided by winding vallies, 
looked quite romantically. They were covered with ver- 
dure to their very summits, whilst, at their base and 
extending to the sea-shore, were groves of fruit and other 
trees, interspersed among which were the dwellings of 
the natives. 

Among the visitors aboard, were several Tongataboo- 
ans. Their residence on Coro and other islands of the 
group is accounted for by the fact that the Friendly Isl- 
anders frequently ply their large double canoes to and 
from the Fijiis, a distance of about three hundred miles. 
Taking advantage of favorable winds, and directing their 
course, in the day-time, by the sun, and, in the night, by 
the moon and stars, they rarely deviate from a straight 
course between the groups. I have frequently seen their 
canoes sailing in a heavy sea, at the rate of nine or ten 
knots an hour. The incredible swiftness of these canoes 
I regard as an argument in support of the supposition, 
which refers the origin of this people to the Asiatic con- 
tinent. 

We remained on this island long enough to replenish 
our stock of provisions, and then bore away for the place 
of our destination, the noble island of Tacanova, the 
tops of whose lofty mountains were soon seen, at the dis- 
tance of many leagues. As numerous sunken rocks lay 
about our way to it, the greatest precautions were taken 
to avoid danger. The ship was reduced to easy sail, and 



THE GLIDE STRIKES A ROCK. 27 

the officers and several of the crew were stationed for- 
ward and aloft on the lookout. 

Thus cautiously we moved along this dangerous archi- 
pelago, with the helm alternately at starboard and port, 
as the lookouts gave the word. The navigation became 
more and more intricate. The occasion was one of the 
most intense anxiety. Every man was at his post, and 
the stillness on board was broken only by the loud and 
hurried orders of the officers to the helmsman. The cri- 
sis was at hand. Within a few feet from the surface of 
the sea, and directly ahead, was discovered a large coral 
rock. Instantly vociferated the officer aloft, — hard down 
the helm ! — hard down the helm ! shouted the man amid- 
ships, at the top of his voice — hard down the helm ! re- 
plied the steersman, as he suited the action to the word. 
The next instant, the Glide struck with a tremendous 
crash. 

I cannot adequately describe what followed. All was 
confusion. The officers and crew, on whose countenan- 
ces, but a few hours before, hope was strongly marked, 
hurried to and fro in painful solicitude. From the force 
of the collision, the worst results were apprehended. 
Orders were given to let go the anchor, and to clear the 
long boat. On manning the pumps, the ship was found 
to be leaking at a prodigious rate. Fortunately, the 
pumps were in excellent condition; otherwise we could 
not have floated long. As it was, two men were kept 
busy at them all the time. In this situation, with our 
destined port in view, almost hemmed in by rocks, liable, 
from the disabled condition of the ship, to be successfully 
attacked by the savages, and in continual fear lest the 
water should increase upon us, the sun set, and the dark- 
ness of a starless night gathered about us. 

That night will long be remembered by the survivors 



28 ARRIVAL AT THE BAY OF MIAMBOOA. 

of the Glide's crew. No man slept. Our only means of 
safety was our pumps, and these were worked incessant- 
ly. The noble ship had received a paralysis, from which 
she never fully recovered. 

At an early hour of the following morning, having 
sounded a passage to the harbor and met with no obstruc- 
tions, we sailed for Miambooa bay. 

As soon as we arrived here, Captain Archer sent a 
boat, with six men, well armed, and supplied with two or 
three days' provisions, in command of our first officer, in 
search of the vessel, of whose appearance among the isl- 
ands of the group, he had been informed by the natives 
at Nerei. The boat had not been absent from the harbor 
more than ten hours, when " Sail ho !" was shouted by 
the man aloft. It proved to be the brig Quill, Captain 
Kinsman, of Salem. The sight of a friendly sail, at such 
a time, on a savage coast, would have been hailed with 
extraordinary pleasure ; but to behold a vessel at hand, 
coming from the same port with ourselves, and in so crit- 
ical an emergency, was a source of thankful surprise. 
The brig had no sooner come to anchor, than Captain A. 
visited her and made known to Captain K. the perilous 
situation of the Glide, and of his having sent a boat to the 
windward in search of a vessel which happened to be his. 
Captain K. very generously offered to render all the as- 
sistance in his power. He immediately suggested to 
Capt. A. the propriety of sending another boat in search 
of the one that had been before despatched, since there 
was some cause to fear that it might have been intercept- 
ed by the natives. Mr. Driver, the first officer of the 
Quill, with Mr. Wallace, (a man, who had been cast 
away a short time previously, and whose services Capt. 
A. had now engaged) took charge of the boat, which 
started at about day-break the next morning, in search of 



INCIDENT IN A BOAT. 29 

the first boat, with a full complement of men, furnished, 
like those sent before, with arms and provisions. The 
men toiled steadily at their oars all day long, hearing no 
tidings concerning the first boat, although, on their way, 
they had spoken several canoes filled with natives. About 
sunset they reached the island of Bou, a distance from 
the ship of about one hundred miles, where they learned 
that the boat had been seen the day previously standing 
towards the ship. Here they passed the night, and were 
treated by the natives with hospitality. About sunrise, 
they set out to return to the ship: with a fair wind and 
beautiful day before them, they anticipated much pleasure 
in sailing among these rich and delightful islands. They 
had not, however, sailed over more than twelve miles, 
when, directly under the lee of a long reach of land, that 
extended into the ocean, called Bratta-point, which they 
were passing, Mr. D. discovered seventeen canoes filled 
with natives in apparent readiness to execute some hos- 
tile purpose. Their appearance excited his suspicions, 
and he determined to give them a wide berth. The boat 
had no sooner altered her course for this purpose, than 
the canoes all started from the beach, and attempted to 
cut off her retreat. This movement evinced the intention 
of the natives. Those in the boat at once gave her every 
advantage of the wind, and pulled at their oars heartily 
and with a will. As soon as the increased exertions at 
the oars were perceived by the savages, they applied 
themselves so zealously to their paddles as to bid fair to 
reach the boat in half-an-hour's time. There was now 
but one hope of escape. This was by putting the boat 
square before the wind. In doing this, it would be ne- 
cessary to run across a large coral reef, many parts of 
which were breaking out of water. Accordingly, the 
boat was put before the wind, and at last gained on the 
3* 



SO INCIDENT IN A BOAT. 

natives, who could not follow at so great an advantage, 
on account of the peculiar construction of their canoes. 
They are extremely sharp at both ends, with the mast 
stepped in the middle. The sail is in a triangular form 
with the leach and luff confined to yards that meet at a 
point and rest on the extreme end of the canoe. The 
halyards are made fast at the middle of the upper yard or 
luff of the sail, so that, in beating, the sail is shifted from 
one end of the canoe to the other, without putting her 
about. Thus the weight of the sail, with the pressure of 
wind upon it, causes the canoe to run under instantly, 
when set directly before the wind. 

The boat proceeded about a mile at a very rapid rate, 
and was fast leaving the savages astern. 

When the reef was reached, a heavy sea was breaking 
over it, which would soon determine the fate of the boat. 
Sail was shortened, the boat was kept by strenuous exer- 
tions before the surf, and the opposite side had been 
nearly reached, when a heavy sea bore up the boat, and 
then dropped it upon the point of a large coral rock. A 
piece was broken out of the bottom, about eight inches 
from the keel, two inches wide, and twenty inches long. 
She commenced leaking prodigiously, and, had they not 
had two buckets with them, in which their provisions had 
been stored, they would have presently sunk. The sails 
were pulled down, and efforts made to use the oars. But 
the savages, seeing the situation of the boat, and con- 
jecturing the cause, pressed towards them as fast as pos- 
sible. The boat's crew gave up all hope of escape and 
made preparations to defend themselves as best they 
could. When they arrived within hailing distance, Mr. 
Driver asked them what they wanted. They replied by 
pointing to the shore where fires were burning, and evi- 
dent preparations making for a cannibal feast. Mr. D. 



INCIDExNT IN A BOAT. 31 

from frequent trading with these people, knew well their 
character, and was alarmed ; he said that he should take 
upon himself no responsibility for what any of the crew 
should do, nor for their lives, should they be slain by the 
savages. Being sure of their victims, they relaxed their 
efforts and made very slow progress towards the boat. 
When they approached within musket-shot, the crew 
were desirous of firing into them, but Mr. D. was strongly 
opposed to this course, lest it should still more infuriate 
the savages. But, after saying in effect, that each man 
must take care for himself, they determined to take the 

best possible care, which the emergency permitted. F 

took his musket, and endeavored unsuccessfully to dis- 
charge it, when D. seeing the state of his shipmate's 
piece, levelled his own musket, and discharged its con- 
tents among the savages. It could not be ascertained 
whether any had been killed or wounded, but the savages 
were evidently much surprised at such a reception, and, 
after a brief consultation, turned their canoes towards the 
point, and sailed away. 

By constant bailing, the boat was kept afloat; but, 
without repairing her in some way, it could not reach the 
ship. About a mile beyond the reef, lay a small desolate 
island. Towards this the men made all despatch possible 
in their disabled condition, and succeeded in reaching it 
safely. Having turned the boat over upon the beach, 
they took a piece of the ceiling, and fixed it as well as 
possible to the cavity, and filling up the seams Avith a 
piece of canvass, in which some of their provisions were 
wrapped up, made it nearly tight. They then set sail for 
the ship, and having a good breeze, reached her in safety 
about sunset. 

The first boat had arrived safely the day after the 
departure of the second; and the second, the day after 



32 REPAIR THE SHIP. 

the arrival of the first. All hands were once more to- 
gether. 

To heave down the ship, was an undertaking requiring 
great caution and ability. I would that I could describe 
this operation with sufficient accuracy. It would be inter- 
esting to those who could appreciate the magnitude of the 
project, and not wholly devoid of interest to the landsman. 
A large ship to be entirely dismantled; a large part of 
her cargo to be conveyed ashore; a floating stage of 
spars and loose timber, constructed alongside ; the vessel 
in seven or eight fathoms' water; ourselves surrounded 
by cannibals, scores of whom were prowling continually 
about the vessel, and looking as if meditating mischief — 
all these circumstances may possibly convey some notion 
of the importance and hazard of the enterprise. 

It was well for the Glide that her captain not only 
" knew the ropes," but, from having been formerly a ship 
carpenter, could wield the axe too. He had not, like 
many masters of vessels now-a-days, climbed up to the 
captain's berth through the cabin windows. He was 
more of a practical than theoretical navigator. He had 
passed through the regular gradations, which are essen- 
tial to qualify one to take proper charge of a ship. He 
was, consequently, fully equal to this emergency. 

Ten or twelve days in succession, the ship was hove 
down at an early hour of the morning, and righted at 
night. Employed in repairing her, were the carpenters 
of the Q,uill and Glide, and Captain Archer himself. 

Whilst at work on the raft in heeling the ship, a cir- 
cumstance occurred, which had well nigh proved a se- 
rious matter to me. I had hold of the standing part ofthe 
fall, when the rope suddenly parted, and the ship imme- 
diately righting, I was carried up some twelve or fifteen 
feet with very great rapidity, and with the prospect before 



BECHE-LE-MER. 33 

me of instant destruction. But the fall becoming foul in 
the upper block, ceased to unreeve, and I was enabled to 
make my descent without injury. Capt. Kinsman was 
near at the time, and was so impressed with the peril of 
my situation as to exclaim — " that man's gone!" 

One pleasant evening, after we had completed the labor 
of the day, it was proposed to bathe. Accordingly, sev- 
eral of us went about our aquatic frolic. We had a mer- 
ry time of it, and to show our skill in this important 
branch of a sailor's education, we now and then dove 
down from the bulwarks and swam the length of the ves- 
sel under water. Though nothing occurred to disturb 
our diversion then, on the following day a ground-shark 
was observed swimming about the ship. He was a mon- 
strous creature, and looked hungry enough to swallow 
any one of us at once. The cook threw over some offal, 
which brought him to the surface ; then the steward har- 
pooned him, and all hands took hold and hauled him up 
on deck. Probably no fish has so much strength, com- 
paratively, as the shark, or manifests life so long after 
exposure to the air, and the endurance of torture. For 
ten or twelve minutes after his capture, he flounced about 
with great vehemence, and seemed to have strength 
enough to break a man's leg with his tail. At least, none 
of us had the slightest disposition to try the experiment. 
It was not till after he had been most severely mangled, 
that signs of life disappeared from the extremities of his 
body. 

The most valuable part of our cargo was conveyed 
aboard the brig. That part of it which it was found ne- 
cessary to carry ashore, was deposited in one of the build- 
ings belonging to the Quill's beche-le-mer establishment, 
where Mr. Driver and a part of the brig's crew rendered 
essential service in taking care of the property. We 



34 BECHE-LE-MER. 

were much indebted to Captain Kinsman for his important 
aid, while the Glide was undergoing repairs. The pres- 
ence of his brig was probably the only thing which re- 
strained the savages from attacking us. After we had 
done all we could to make the Glide sea-worthy again, 
our cargo was taken aboard, and, having put everything 
in decent order, we made ready to trade with the natives. 

Though the Glide had been remarkably well provided 
for in her outfit, with articles of exchange, yet no incon- 
siderable part of our cargo was procured by bartering 
such common tools as the blacksmith manufactured 
aboard. A chisel, made from a piece of old iron hoop, 
would command the services of a native for a whole day. 
To earn a chisel, then, it was necessary to be stirring 
early in the morning, to sail fifteen or twenty miles to the 
sea-reef, there to work knee-deep in the water, for six or 
eight hours, getting beche-le-mer, and then to come to 
the ship to dispose of the fruit of the day's toil. 

As beche-le-mer is the principle article of trade among 
these islands, a brief description of it, of the manner of 
obtaining it, and of the process of curing it, may not be 
uninteresting It is a species of sea-snail, and lives on 
the coral reefs. It is about eight inches long, and three 
inches thick — is of a dark brown color, has a rough- 
looking skin, and is covered with a thick slime. It is 
easily taken, and exposure to the air does not affect it 
much. This fish is much valued by the Chinese, who 
use it as an article of food. 

A large beach is usually selected, so situated that the 
ship may anchor within a mile from it. The king is general- 
ly made pliable by numerous gifts, and a contract is made 
with him. He assembles together his own people, and in- 
vites all others friendly to his nation. After arrangements 
are made, the natives commence erecting the necessary 



BECHE-LE-MER. 35 

buildings, different clans bringing different materials, 
whilst the king superintends the whole. As soon as the 
buildings are finished, the warriors and others come a dis- 
tance of forty or fifty, and, sometimes, a hundred miles, 
bringing their wives and children, in canoes of all sizes, 
from the large double war-canoe to the merest skiff, and 
the trade begins. Each party or family build temporary 
huts along the beach, and a little village soon springs into 
existence. They bring from their homes, and offer for 
barter, almost every thing they possess, which they read- 
ily exchange for iron-tools, knives, scissors, whales' teeth, 
beads, trinkets, but especially for muskets and ammuni- 
tion. After they have sold their stock, as mats, pieces 
of tortoise-shell, hogs, the various kinds of vegetables, 
&c, they then give their assistance in procuring beche- 
Le-mer. 

Large parties cut wood and pile it on the beach, each 
pile having its price, and the article being always in de- 
mand. Others assist in curing the beche-le-mer. But 
the greater part, consisting of the warriors and owners of 
canoes with their families and dependents, proceed to the 
coral reefs in whole fleets of canoes of all sizes. They 
sometimes go upwards of fifty miles. 

They readily make from the green leaves of the cocoa- 
nut tree, a neat little basket, into which they pick the 
beche-le-mer from the reefs, and stow them in the canoes. 
At each returning tide, the fleets of fishermen come into 
the harbor — presenting an animating and business-like 
aspect. Each one deposits his fare on the beach by 
itself, and gives notice to the trading officer that it is ex- 
posed for sale. 

The great warriors, who have many followers and large 
canoes, sometimes " fish for a musket/' as it is termed. 
They contract to bring in so many hogsheads of beche- 



36 MANNER OF CURING IT. 

le-mer, — from twelve to twenty, — for which, when deliv- 
ered, they receive the musket. The small fishermen sell 
according to the number of baskets, for tools, beads, 
trinkets, and, frequently, for small quantities of powder, 
or other ammunition. 

To accommodate two of the officers and ten or twelve 
of the crew, who were to be employed in curing the fish, 
several huts were erected by the natives. Besides these, 
there were three other buildings, called Batter, Trade 
and Pot-houses. 

The Batter-house was upwards of a hundred feet long, 
thirty wide, and twenty high. The batters, or rafters, 
extended the whole length ofthe building. Some of these, 
the upper batters, were placed twelve feet from the 
ground, and others, the lower batters, six. 

In the Trade-house we stored our commodities, mus- 
kets, pistols, cutlasses, cloth, knives, scissors, beads, &c. 
&c. This building was about fifteen feet long, ten wide 
and eight high. 

The Pot-house contained the large iron pots for boiling 
the fish. This building was open all around. The pots 
held thirty or forty gallons each, and were placed over 
the fire at equal distances from each other. 

These buildings, also, were put up by the natives, who 
received in pay an ordinary musket, (worth two or three 
dollars,) one or two hatchets, and a few strings of beads. 
This is working cheap, for more than a hundred islanders 
were employed about them nearly a week. 

The beche-le-mer, having been brought from the reefs 
by the natives, and purchased by our trading-master 
ashore, was deposited in a large reservoir, let in the 
ground at the depth of two or three feet; it was here 
cleansed by several Tonga natives in our employ. This 
reservoir was close to the beach, so that, at high tide, 



TORTOISE-SHELL. SANDAL-WOOD. 37 

the water flowed into it. The beche-le-mer was then 
carried to the Pot-house and boiled about forty minutes. 
It was then thrown on bamboo-rafters behind the pots, 
where it remained till the water had drained out. From 
these rafters it was carried to the Batter-house, and 
strewn on the lower batter, under which, and the upper 
one, too, a fire was kept burning. After twenty-four or 
thirty hours, it was removed to the upper batter, where 
it was kept till it had become perfectly hard. It was then 
sent aboard ship, where it was packed in matting bags 
and stowed away. When properly cured, beche-le-mer 
will keep sound for years. 

Tortoise-shell is a considerable article of commerce at 
these islands. Of this we obtained several hundred 
pounds while in the South Pacific. Out of it the natives 
manufacture finger-rings, fish-hooks and ornaments for 
the hair; some very beautiful specimens of which were 
obtained of them. 

Sandal-wood is found on many of these islands; but its 
scarcity hardly repays the labor of searching for it. It 
is of a yellowish color, has an agreeable fragrance, and 
is susceptible of a high polish. The Chinese burn it as 
incense, and make fans, ornamental boxes and the like, 
out of it. 



38 A BUSINESS SCENE. THE QUILL SAILS. 



CHAPTER III. 



A business scene — The Quill sails — The Glide — A New-Zealander leaves 
the ship — An Albino — Visit of Timbooa — Death of Richardson — Loss 
of our Batter-house — Sail for Nungalooa — Arrival and trade with the 
Natives — Loss of our second Batter-house — Fill out the cargo — Set 
fire to the buildings — Sail for Manilla — Obliged to return — Encounter a 
storm — Sail for Miambooa — Leave the Islands. 

For several weeks after beginning to trade with the 
natives, the bay of Miambooa presented a lively scene. 
Nearly two thousand natives were employed in procuring 
beche-le-mer for the Quill and the Glide. The business 
aboard, the din of industry ashore, the coming and going 
of boats, and the plying of hundreds of canoes to and 
from the sea-reef, gave much animation to things. In- 
deed, I could not but regard this scene, among islands so 
little known to the civilized world, as highly creditable to 
the commercial enterprise of the merchants engaged in 
this trade. Where next, thought I, will Salem vessels 
go? Sail we north or south, around " Good Hope " or 
the " Horn," we find them, officered and manned mostly 
by Salem men. 

January 9. The Quill having obtained a cargo, sailed 
for Manilla. As Captain Kinsman, after disposing of 
his cargo, would return to the United States, we em- 
braced the opportunity to write letters home. In my let- 
ter I wrote that we should probably be absent eighteen 
months longer. I little imagined what was coming, and 
that forty-four months more would pass away, before I 
should see home. 

Previous to the Quill's departure, Captain Archer 
procured from it the services of Mr. Carey as linguist and 



THE GLIDE. AN ALBINO. 39 

assistant trading-master, and of Mr. Johnson, to aid in 
curing beche-le-mer. With this addition to our number, 
the Glide's company were thirty men, the most of whom 
were young, strong and active — a force sufficient, with 
our muskets, pistols, cutlasses, &c, to resist any attack 
from the natives. 

Though without a profusion of ornamental work, the 
Glide was of a beautiful model, as strong as oak and ship- 
carpenters could make her, and till her collision with the 
rocks, well deserved her name. At anchor in the harbor 
of Miambooa, she wore a warlike appearance. Heavy 
cannon, loaded with cannister and grape shot, projected 
from the port holes on each side. In each top was a 
chest of arms and ammunition. On deck and below, 
weapons of defence were so arranged as to be available 
at short notice. Boarding nettings, eight or ten feet wide, 
were triced up around the ship by tackles and whipping 
lines suspended from the extremities of the lower yard- 
arms. 

One morning, not -many days after the departure of the 
Quill, one of our New-Zealanders was nowhere to be 
found. As we never received any information respecting 
him, it is probable that he perished in trying to escape. 
He and his companions on board had been treated kindly 
by all, and I know of no cause of his dissatisfaction, ex- 
cept the restraints of a sailor's life. 

There was at this place a remarkable phenomenon, an 
Albino, or "white negro." He had, however, black, 
crispy hair and black eyes. The Albino race, generally, 
I believe, have light hair and pink eyes. We sometimes 
questioned the man as to his origin. He usually kept 
silent, and rolled his eyes wildly and distractedly from us. 
When he did say anything, his language was very inco- 
herent. He seemed to be little more than an idiot. 



40 VISIT OF TIMBOOA. 

Of the visitors on board, no one was more welcome 
than Timbooa, the chief of the Miambooans. Though 
apparently over fifty years of age, and as black as ebony, 
he was one of the best looking men I ever saw. He was 
full six feet tall, and had as fine a head as ever went 
through a phrenological examination. He was looked 
upon as second to no chief in influence on the island of Ta- 
canova. He wore a white turban of native cloth, and a 
maro, or strip of native cloth, around his waist and con- 
fined behind by a bow knot, the ends of which trailed on 
the deck as he walked. Suspended from his neck was a 
large and highly polished pearl shell, the sign of royalty. 
Passing through the hair of the head, and projecting from 
the front part of the turban, was a long strip of tortoise 
shell; and through the lobes of his ears were round 
pieces of ivory about four inches long. Besides all this, 
a beard over a foot in length gave to Timbooa a very 
patriarchal appearance. He sometimes sported an ele- 
gant rifle, which he had received for services rendered 
the ship. This, to be sure, took away somewhat from 
the patriarchal character. 

Besides the visits of Timbooa, we were almost daily 
favored with the presence of Timooro, a powerful fighting 
chief of the Miambooa tribe. This man was taller than 
Timbooa, as straight as an arrow, and finely propor- 
tioned. From being so much aboard, he became well 
acquainted with us, and took great liberties. He ap- 
peared very curious about everything which presented 
itself to his notice, and especially delighted in looking on, 
while the blacksmith manufactured knives, chisels and 
the like. As the glowing iron came from the furnace, 
and the sparks flew about, he would hop, skip, jump, and 
clap his hands, in an ecstacy of delight, at the same time 
exclaiming " henacla, benacha,' 1 ' 1 good, good. 



DEATH OF RICHARDSON. 41 

Monday, January 11. On this day we lost one of our 
number by death, young Richardson. He had been with 
the party ashore till within a few days of his death, when, 
complaining of illness, he was permitted to come aboard. 
He went through his work as well as he could, without 
any more complaints, but seemed at times very weak, 
and bled much at the nose. 

One evening he hurried upon deck almost naked and 
was about to throw himself overboard. He was very 
much excited, and so bent on his purpose, that several of 
the men, who started at once, could hardly hold him 
back. He was taken down to his berth, when the Cap- 
tain came forward, gave him some medicine, and ordered 
a light to be kept burning all night. As I went down into 
the forecastle, I found all but Richardson turned in; he 
was sitting on his chest. I told him he had better go to 
his berth; he said " no, I shall feel better to sit up." The 
next morning he was found dead in this posture. He 
was eighteen years old, and died under circumstances 
truly painful, in a ship's forecastle, in a savage port, far 
from friends and home. The same day we buried him 
ashore, on the left hand bank, as you enter the harbor of 
Miambooa. 

Thus died young Richardson. While talking together 
the day before his death, he expressed to me his fears 
that he should not live to see Salem again; said he was 
sorry he had undertaken the voyage, and spoke often and 
affectionately of his mother and friends at home. 

If a man aboard ship complains of feeling unwell, he is 
too often regarded as only making believe being ill, that 
he may get rid of his work. This is the reason why a 
sailor will stand out, and go about the ship's duty, long 
after he ought to be in his berth and under the closest 
care; and being thus desirous of doing his best, he gets 
4# 



4£ LOSS OF OUR BATTER-HOUSE. 

not half the sympathy from officers or crew, that he would 
receive did he give up at once all endeavor to exert him- 
self. He does not enjoy, what is the first thing to be 
desired in the case of every man out of health, the credit 
of being so. For several weeks before the death of 
Richardson, there were about him occasional indications 
of much debility, but his appearing to be at other times, 
in his usual health, led to a misconstruction of his real 
situation. I would not imply that Captain Archer was 
remiss in his duty to those who were ill aboard his ship; 
on the contrary, he was prompt to render to such all the 
help in his power. 

Saturday, January 30. After we had got together 
about one third part of our cargo, the batter-house was 
destroyed by fire. Besides the building, we lost upwards 
of sixty piculs of beche-le-mer in process of curing. This 
happened in the night, and the building was thought to 
have been set on fire by the natives. (C All hands-Ahoy! 
the buildings are afire," cried the midnight watch. As 
soon as I got my wits about me, it occurred to me, that 
the natives might easily massacre the whole party ashore. 
Rushing up on deck, eight or ten of the men were in- 
stantly ordered off* in two of the ship's quarter-boats for 
their rescue. We found them armed, on the beach, 
ready for any hostile movement. They came off with us 
in the boats. 

We found next morning that the natives had stolen one 
of our boats. Two boats were immediately manned and 
sent in pursuit of it. They succeeded in bringing it 
alongside, when it was ascertained that all our kettles 
had been broken. This was a greater misfortune than 
the loss of property or of houses, since, unless they could 
be mended or replaced, we could not possibly prosecute 
our voyage. 



SAIL FOR NUNGALOOA. 43 

We sent at once for the king, who required much per- 
suasion to come, as he feared that we should revenge 
our loss by inflicting some summary punishment upon 
him. He informed us that the houses, being built by 
Timooro, an inferior chief, were less secure than if they 
had been constructed under his own supervision, as he 
was the king of the Bay. The natives' object evidently 
was to obtain the iron in order to make tools for their 
own use. The kettles were so repaired by the black- 
smith, as to answer our purpose. 

Of the many annoyances of which the shore-party com- 
plained, not the least was that of the mosquitoes. These 
troublesome creatures were a continual bore to them. 
They could not sleep with comfort anywhere. When the 
storm drove them, for shelter, to the batter-house, with 
the smoke almost stifling them, and the mosquitoes tor- 
menting them, their philosophy was soon exhausted, and 
they were repeatedly tempted to bestow a hearty curse, 
not only upon these little authors of their misery, but 
upon the persons who first added beche-le-mer to the 
numberless articles of international trade. 

Soon after the loss of our batter-house, we took pos- 
session of the buildings recently occupied by the brig 
Quill's company, and the trade in beche-le-mer was re- 
sumed. The daily supplies offish promised soon to fill 
out our cargo. To guard against incendiaries, the shore- 
party used the utmost vigilance. Sentinels, with loaded 
muskets, were stationed at different parts of the premises 
during the night, and a special watch-word was required 
of all persons seen near the buildings after dark. In this 
way affairs went on prosperously for several weeks. At 
the expiration of that time, the fish grew so scarce the 
natives would not get us any more. So we sailed for 
Nungalooa on the same island, distant about thirty miles 



44 ARRIVAL AND TRADE WITH THE NATIVES. 

from Miambooa, where we arrived on the twenty-third 
instant. 

On our arrival at Nungalooa, the necessary buildings 
were put up, and the trade in beche-le-mer began in good 
earnest. Longing to get away from these regions as soon 
as possible, the crew worked well. The blacksmith made 
quicker strokes at the anvil, the carpenter spent less time 
at the grindstone, and there was hardly an unable-to- 
work man aboardship. 

Nor were the savages less industrious. Early in the 
morning, scores of canoes with their three-cornered mat- 
ting sails were seen moving off to the sea-reef, and 
towards night returning with the fish they had got. 

March 23d. Mr. Carey left for Raratoi, ninety miles 
distant, to obtain hogs and fresh provisions for sea-stock. 

In less than a month's time, our second batter-house 
was burnt up, and a large quantity offish with it. This, 
too, happened about midnight, and the savages at Bonne 
Rarah were suspected of having had a hand in the mat- 
ter, as they were, at that time, at war with the Nunga- 
looans. The men in the building had barely time to es- 
cape. This disaster was a source of much discourage- 
ment to all on board. One of the crew declared it was 
fated for the Glide never to return to the United States. 
He little thought that not only would the ship be lost, 
but that he himself would fall a victim to the cruelty of 
these islanders. But of that, by and by. 

Still another batter-house was erected, and with keep- 
ing a sharp watch, we made out, at length, to secure the 
balance of our cargo. 

April 13. Mr. Carey arrived from Raratoi with eighty- 
five hogs and a large quantity of yams and other provis- 
ions. From him we learned that the ship Clay, Captain 
Millet, of Salem, was at Bou. 



DEPARTURE. ENCOUNTER A STORM. 45 

All hands were once more aboard, and preparations 
were made for leaving the islands. Determined that the 
natives should not have another chance to burn the build- 
ings, we resolved to do it ourselves. So a number ofthe 
crew were despatched ashore to set fire to them. They 
were pretty dry, and were soon wrapped in flames. This 
time it was a pleasing sight. 

April 15th. At length, the long wished-for order was 
given to man the windlass, and never did we work more 
cheerily. A few minutes, and we had loosed and sheeted 
home the sails, raised the anchor, and were standing out 
ofthe bay to the northward, having a native employed in 
his canoe to pilot us through the reefs. But, the Glide 
had not sailed more than twenty-five miles, when indica- 
tions of an approaching storm, and the fear of night's 
overtaking us before we cleared the sea-reef, made it 
prudent for us to return to our anchorage. We dropt 
anchor, however, outside the harbor, near a small island, 
called Anganga, with reefs and breakers all round us. 

Here we encountered a severe storm, which continued 
with unabated fury for nearly three days. How the ship 
stood it out was a wonder. Being outside the harbor, 
she was exposed to the full force of winds and waves. 
Although we let go all the anchors we had, and sent down 
the lighter spars on deck, we found ourselves drawing 
nearer and nearer the breakers, over which the sea was 
dashing with appalling force. We were kept from run- 
ning upon them only by the contact of the anchors with 
rocks on the bottom. The reef was only about twenty 
rods astern. Had the ship struck in this exposed place 
it must have been the end of her, and of all on board. 

After the storm was over, we sailed for Miambooa, and 
came to anchor again in the harbor. Here we got a new 
supply of provisions, and, after a few days, set sail for 



46 TACANOVA.— BRATTA, 

Manilla, having on board one thousand piculs of beche- 
le-mer, three hundred pounds of tortoise-shell, and seven 
hundred pounds of sandal-wood. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Tacanova — Bratta — Overlou — Soma-Soma — Bou — Soil — Climate — Villa- 
ges — Dwellings — Canoes — The Natives — Mode of wearing the hair — 
Their Dress — Ornaments — Barbarous customs — Wars — Religion. 

I have thought it preferable to give in this place a 
general account of those of the Fijii islands, which we 
visited, than to interrupt the narrative afterwards. 

This group, situated in the South Pacific Ocean, is 
supposed to comprise about three hundred islands, the 
most of which, however, are quite small. Among the 
largest are Tacanova, Bratta, Nerei, Coro and Overlou. 

Tacanova is, indeed, a noble island. It is said to be 
over four hundred miles in circumference. Its mountains 
are very high, and visible at the distance of fifty or sixty 
miles. Unlike the highlands of Maui and Oahu (Sand- 
wich Islands) which are generally sterile and abrupt, 
they are covered with rich verdure, and, owing to their 
gentle acclivity, are comparatively easy of ascent. Ex- 
tending from their bases to the sea-coast, lie broad 
plains watered by numerous rivulets, and variegated with 
trees and herbage. Of the harbors of Tacanova, those 
of Miambooa, Nungalooa and Bonne Rarah are the most 
frequented by foreign vessels. 

Bratta is next in size to Tacanova. It is a beautiful 
island, not so mountainous as many others of the group, 



OVERLOU. SOMA-SOMA. BOU. 47 

but not less fertile and populous. It is rarely visited by 
trading ships. 

Nerei and Coro have been spoken of in a preceding 
chapter. 

Overlou is from twenty to twenty-five miles in circum- 
ference, and is remarkable for its conical mountain, which 
towers several hundred feet above the adjacent highlands, 
and presents a very fine appearance, as one approaches 
the island. One of the most powerful chiefs on this isl- 
and, at the time of our visiting it, was Mr. David Whel- 
py, an American, and, I believe, a native of Nantucket 
or of New Bedford, whence he had sailed, some years 
before, in a whale-ship. For some cause, on the 
arrival of the vessel here, he took sudden leave, and ul- 
timately became distinguished among the natives. He 
was a young man apparently about thirty years of age. 

Soma-Soma is little, if at all, smaller than Overlou. 
This island has no remarkable elevations. It has but one 
harbor of any importance, which is, however, too much 
exposed to periodical gales to be safe for shipping. 

Bou, though extremely small, is politically superior to 
the nearest islands, on which it imposes a tax, and, prob- 
ably, to the whole group. It is nearly circular in form. 
It has one large hill only, which makes a gradual ascent 
from the sea to the centre of the island, and is almost 
covered with dwellings. The king of Bou was the most 
powerful of the Fijii kings, a sort of Tecumseh among 
them. 

The soil of these islands is very fertile. It yields, with 
very little culture, ample means of subsistence for the 
population. A tropical soil can be made to produce al- 
most anything, and were these islanders taught agricul- 
ture, their lands might look like the gardens of Persia. 
It is owing to this extraordinary productiveness of the 



48 CLIMATE. VILLAGES. DWELLINGS. 

soil, that vessels are provisioned here with such facility 
and cheapness. 

The climate is remarkably salubrious. The health of 
our crew, while among these islands, was excellent. 
Richardson, indeed, had died, but he had shown signs of 
disease so long previously to coming here, that his death 
can hardly be attributed to the climate. I lived nearly 
three months in one of the villages, consisting of about 
five hundred natives, and, in all this time, only one death 
occurred among them. This was in the case of an old 
man, who, becoming burdensome by reason of his ad- 
vanced age, was strangled by his friends. Were it not 
for the healthfulness of these islands, their very large 
population must long ago have been exterminated by fre- 
quent and sanguinary wars. 

The villages are mostly near the shore, where the soil 
is as fertile as in the inland country, and where there are 
greater facilities for procuring fish, of which they are 
very fond. The largest of the villages which I saw, did 
not contain over fifty buildings, and the dwellings were 
scattered here and there with little regard to regularity. 
In each village is a large building, called the Boore, in 
which the public business of the tribe is transacted. The 
brooks which flow down from the mountains through some 
of these little districts, and the groves of trees which al- 
most surround them, have quite a pleasing appearance. 

The dwellings serve for little else than coverts from the 
weather. Their frame-work consists of small reeds fas- 
tened together with sennet, supported by poles, and 
thatched with grass and leaves. They have usually but 
one door, which is very low and narrow. I once saw the 
king Timbooa fairly stopped in the door-way of a dwel- 
ling by the enormous maro which nearly tripled his ma- 
jesty's circumference. 



CANOES. THE NATIVES. 49 

The Fijiians have two sorts of canoes, double and sin- 
gle. The double canoe, icaimka-lib, is so called from its 
having two canoes, of nearly equal size, placed parallel 
with each other and about four feet apart, and covered 
with a platform of bamboo sticks. The canoe is furnished 
with a mast, grooved in the top to admit the halyards. 
The sail is triangular in form, and is made of straw mats 
sewed together. Some of these double canoes are nearly 
as long as a ship, and will carry from three to four hun- 
dred men. 

The single canoe, waunka-lili, is furnished with an out- 
rigger, that is, a stick of timber, about the length of the 
canoe, and parallel with it. Into the upper part of this 
log, small but strong sticks are placed vertically and close 
together as high as the top of the canoe. And over them 
and the side of the canoe is a bamboo platform like that 
in the double canoes. The object of the outrigger is to 
prevent upsetting. 

The complexion of these islanders is very dark. They 
are tall and well-formed, have intelligent features, and 
often display a grace of demeanor, which both surprises 
you, and demands your respect The warriors of Bou 
are among the finest specimens of the human form I have 
ever seen. 

The Fijiians have a singular way of wearing the haii\. 
I have frequently seen them spend three or four hours in 
adjusting it to their liking. And so careful are they to 
keep it well-arranged, that, when they lie down, they rest 
the neck, and not the head, on the pillow. This pillow 
consists of several joints of large bamboo, about three 
feet long, with its ends raised by legs four or five inches 
high. You cannot offend a savage more than by disar- 
ranging his hair, if done purposely. Some of them 
spread it out so much, that, if no compression took place, 
5 



50 



MODE OF WEARING THE HAIR. DRESS. 



a bushel-basket could hardly envelope the head. Some 
daub their hair with clay and red ochre. They take 
equal pains to arrange their beards, which, in most cases, 
is about a foot in length. 




Their principal article of dress, is the maro, a strip of 
cloth manufactured from the bark of the breadfruit tree, 
and which is worn about the waist and thighs. They first 
cut the bark into small strips, two or three inches wide ; 
then the outer rind is taken off, and the strips are put into 
water where they remain for several hours. Being of a 
glutinous nature and softened by this process, the bark is 
easily beaten to the required dimensions by small wooden 
mallets. The cloth is then bleached by exposure to the 
sun, and is afterwards stained the color intended. The 
females wear mats and girdles of colored grass and 
leaves. White turbans made of this native cloth, are 
worn by both men and women. 

Their ornaments are of various kinds. Tortoise-shell 
rings are worn on their fingers, and rings of hogs' teeth 
and pearl shell on their arms. Shells and pieces of ivory 
are passed through the lobes of the ears, which are per- 
forated in childhood for that purpose. Combs made of 



ORNAMENTS. BARBAROUS CUSTOMS. 51 

the cocoa-nut leaflet, and highly polished strips of tor- 
toise-shell, are worn in their hair. The chiefs wear pearl 
shells on their breasts, suspended from the neck. Neck- 
laces of flowers and beads, too, you may sometimes see 
worn by them. 

If the common remark that the treatment which the 
women receive, and the estimation in which they are 
held, signifies the degree of civilization and refinement 
to which any people has attained, be correct, then these 
savages are extremely degraded; for not only are the 
women shut out from all public festivals, but they are 
treated like menials. Besides attending to their domestic 
duties, on them devolves almost exclusively the burden 
of providing food for their families. I have frequently 
seen the women with their infants on their back, going to 
procure fish for a meal, while their husbands and male 
children were either at home or strolling lazily about the 
village. 

Polygamy is common here. There are few Fijiian 
chiefs, of much celebrity, who have not fifteen or twenty 
wives: the old king of Bou boasted of having fifty. 

They have the custom of cutting off the joints of the 
little fingers. This they do, when a relative dies, or some 
national calamity occurs. While we were at anchor in 
the harbor of Nungalooa, one of the natives came aboard, 
and requested the blacksmith to sharpen his knife for him. 
He was asked why he wished it to be sharper than it was, 
and in reply extended the little finger of his right hand. 
The blacksmith conjectured his purpose, but could hardly 
believe it real, and continued sharpening the knife, till 
he had given to it a very keen edge. The islander took 
it and left the ship. Not many days afterward, he came 
again aboard. When he was asked what use he had 



52 BARBAROUS CUSTOMS. 

made of the knife. Cybee n'iscealy? he extended the same 
hand, but the first joint of the little finger had been sev- 
ered, and the stump was not yet healed. We then said 
to him quotha"?* who did it? he answered quoiv, I, my- 
self, quothal how? iscealy, with a knife, quotha"? why? 
matte-matte tunenah, my mother is dead. Here he ex- 
plained this delicate operation, v/hich was, first to cut 
into the flesh deep enough to bring the edge of the knife 
in contact with the bone — then to make a bold stroke, with 
a quick turning of the knife, and the joint is divided. It 
may readily be imagined that no other motive than curi- 
osity induced us to learn this process. 

On the interment of a chief, his wives suffer themselves 
to be strangled. Decorated with garlands and necklaces, 
and attended by their friends with music and dancing, 
they follow the corpse to the burial. A rope is passed 
around the necks of the miserable victims, and pulled by 
men ready for the purpose, till life is extinct. Each is 
then buried in the same grave with her husband. This 
voluntary sacrifice seems intended to show their affection. 
Possibly they may have a confused notion of following 
their deceased partner to some other world. Whatever 
be the motive, the existence of such practices at this day 
occasions painful reflections. 

Then there is the horrible ceremony connected with 
the sacred cocoa-nut. By this, the priest determines the 
will of their gods respecting the fate of foreigners who 
may have been wrecked on the islands. These are led 
to the Boore, and ranged in a semicircle before the 
priest, king and warriors of the tribe. The priest takes 

* This interrogative is of pretty general application, and the precise 
meaning of it is to be gathered from the drift of the conversation, or from 
accompanying gestures. 



BARBAROUS CUSTOMS. 53 

the nut and spins it, like a top, on the floor of the build- 
ing. If, three times in succession, the eyes of the nut, 
when it stops, point to the same person, he is to be slain. 
This series of three trials is repeated as many times as 
there are foreigners present. If no one is designated in 
this way, they judge that it is the will of their gods that 
life should be spared. This was told me by individuals 
who had long resided at the Fijiis, and who had them- 
selves witnessed the process, and I myself, in the Boore 
of Soma-Soma, and in buildings of the kind on the island 
of Tacanova, saw some of the sacred cocoa-nuts. I have 
seen them applied to determine which of a number of 
hogs should be slain for a feast. 

These savages are Cannibals, as the following incident 
will show. One afternoon, whilst the Glide was at an- 
chor ofFBonne-Rarah, my attention was directed towards 
the shore by the loud shouts of a party of natives. From 
what I afterwards learned from several of the crew who 
were on shore at the time, it seems that the warriors of 
Bonne-Rarah had long been at war with the Miambooans, 
over whom they had just obtained a victory, and were 
now returning to the town with two slain bodies of the 
enemy, set apart for a cannibal feast. As they drew 
near, they were met by a large number of natives from 
the village manifesting by yells and excited movements 
the wildest joy. The bodies were then divested of their 
clothing, and extended on the ground, whilst the savages 
stood near with faces painted black and looking unusu- 
ally ferocious. Revenge appeared to be their controlling 
impulse. A woman, who asserted that one of the de- 
ceased had slain her husband in battle, stepped forward, 
and, after presenting to the mouth of the corpse a bowl 
ofangona, as if inviting it to drink, dashed it with such 
force into its face, as to break the bowl in pieces. She 
5* 



54 BARBAROUS CUSTOMS. 

then placed a lock of hair, supposed to have belonged to 
her husband, upon its mouth, and, after offering a bamboo 
stick filled with water, continued beating the body, in 
the highest pitch of savage frenzy and madness, until the 
bamboo stick was completely shivered. Whilst the wo- 
man was thus engaged, some of the natives, with their 
bodies painted and oiled in a disgusting manner, per- 
formed a hideous and revolting dance. Their awful yells 
pierced the air with appalling effect and the demoniac 
ferocity of their movements were frightful to behold. The 
woman then requested them to use the pieces of bamboo 
which she put into their hands, in preparing the bodies 
for the feast. The victims were then cut up and roasted, 
and, afterwards, distributed in portions to the king and 
his warriors, dressed with yams, plantains and other veg- 
etables. 

The Fijii style of cooking is this. A hole is made in 
the ground about eighteen inches deep, and, in form, like 
an inverted cone. The sides are lined with stones. In 
this oven a fire is kindled, till the stones are sufficiently 
heated, when the coals are taken out, and the articles of 
food wrapped up in plantain and cocoa-nut leaves, are 
deposited in it and covered over with grass and earth. 
Nothing can excel the richness of what is cooked in this 
way. The juices, which, by our process, escape by 
evaporation, are retained. Clay kettles, also, hardened 
by exposure to the sun, are used for preparing liquids. 
These are semi-globular in form, and are supported over 
the fire by three or four large stones. No salt is used in 
-the preparation of their food. 

Angona (ava) is the name of a root found at these isl- 
ands, which is much valued by the natives for its stimu- 
lating qualities. The beverage made from it is used on 
all public occasions, especially at the religious ceremo- 



WARS. RELIGION. 55 

nies. The method of preparing it is curious. After 
scraping the root perfectly clean, and rinsing their mouths 
with water, the savages masticate it into balls of pulp, 
the size of a hen's egg, being careful, meanwhile, to 
swallow none of the precious juice. These balls are then 
placed in a large wooden bowl, into which water is 
poured, and after the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, 
the liquor is strained, and passed round in cocoa-nut gob- 
lets. The stimulus of this ava is not very great, for from 
what I saw of its effects, it seemed to be of far less in- 
toxicating quality than many liquors used by more re- 
fined and polished people. 

Their wars are quite frequent. A month seldom passed 
while we were at the Fijiis, that intelligence of some bat- 
tle was not received. Before going out to fight, the men 
are busy in arranging their hair and beards, in painting 
their faces one half red and the other black, and in ex- 
ercising themselves with clubs and spears. Thus pre- 
pared they go forth to meet their foe, in companies of 
tens and twenties, amidst the din of the war-drum* and 
the benedictions of their wives and children. They gen- 
erally contrive to make the attack at night. Arrived at 
the hostile village, they stealthily surround it, and, at a 
preconcerted signal, sound the war-yell and rush into it, 
capturing the women and children, and breaking in the 
skulls of the men. 

Though we frequently witnessed the Religious ceremo- 
nies of this people, our imperfect acquaintance with the 
language and the complicated character of the ceremo- 
nies themselves, prevented us from understanding their 
exact import. The islanders appear, however, to believe 
in a Great Spirit who made and governs all things, though 



* A hollow log of wood, beaten with two sticks. The sound is some- 
thing like a blacksmith's ten pound ten. 



56 RELIGION. 

I have seen at the doors of their Boore, and other places, 
blocks of wood wound about with native cloth, which I 
supposed to be idols. They have priests, whom the peo- 
ple evidently believe to be at times in direct intercourse 
with the Great Spirit and to be the exponents of his will. 
The customs of tattooing their bodies and of cutting off the 
fingers and toes, are to be classed among their Religious 
rites. Entrance into the Boore is forbidden to the women 
and to the lower classes of men, whilst the priests and 
higher chiefs frequently assembled there to discuss mat- 
ters of policy in church and in state, and to perform 
worship. 

Any thing consecrated is said to be tabooed, and is not 
to be touched; this is manifested by wrapping around it a 
piece of native cloth. They seem to be very punctilious 
and sincere in the exercise of their religion, and submit 
without murmuring to its penalties and prohibitions. 

It is necessary, at every great feast, to ascertain the 
will of the Great Spirit. Shortly after our shipwreck, a 
great feast was given by the mountaineers to the king of 
Bonne-Rarah, which many of the ship's company attend- 
ed. After many introductory ceremonies had been per- 
formed, five hogs, which had been presented by the 
mountaineers, were placed before the priest and king 
who sat together, when the king desired the priest to as- 
certain the divine will respecting the animals. The 
priest muttered over many incoherent words, then took 
in his hand the sacred cocoa-nut, and invoked the aid of 
the Great Spirit. 

After repeated trials, the priest was unable to bring 
the nut into the required position. Various reasons were 
assigned for the failure, as that a sufficient number of 
hogs was not sacrificed, or that some part of the ritual 
had been imperfectly performed. All agreed that the 



RELIGION. 57 

Great Spirit was angry for some cause. We began to 
fear that some of our number might be taken to supply 
the deficiency, when the king, who had not lost his pa- 
tience, though excessively hungry, ordered the priest to 
promise a great feast and sacrifice at some future time, 
and to try the cocoa-nut again. The priest once more 
went through the forms, the people meanwhile regarding 
him with great awe, when at last the eyes of the nut 
pointed to the hogs. The king slyly bantered the priest, 
by saying that he knew the will of the Great Spirit better 
than his reverence, and then, with a roar of laughter, 
gave orders to slay and eat. 

When the fruits of the earth begin to ripen, the king 
with his principal men repair to a field, when a yam is 
dug up and presented to the priest, who offers a thanks- 
giving to the Great Spirit for sending the crop of yams, 
and beseeching a continuance of the blessing. 

Captain Archer, on one occasion, desired to purchase 
some yams, and applied, for the purpose, to the king of 
Bonne-Rarah who had informed him that they were now 
ripe. He was told that they could not yet be sold, as the 
priest had not presented the first fruits to the Great Spirit 
No persuasion could avail with the king to sell them, 
till the usual ceremony was performed. 

They imagine that we have a God distinct from their 
own. One of our officers was once sailing with them in 
their canoes, when the wind became adverse, and, after 
trying their own prayers ineffectually, they requested him 
to pray to his God, that the wind might become more 
propitious. And, previous to the Glide's leaving Nunga- 
looa, an influential chief, from a neighboring island, 
being on board with some of his tribe, whilst an officer 
was taking the altitude of the sun, inquired what he was 
doing, when the officer, being at a loss bow to answer 



58 



RELIGION. 



the inquiry, and recollecting the notions of the natives 
respecting communication with the Supreme Being, re- 
plied that he was talking with the Great Spirit. The 
chief gave implicit belief to this assertion, and creeping 
forward with great awe, begged to seethe "white man's 
God." The officer was using one of the dark screens of 
the quadrant, which gave to the sun a deep red appear- 
ance, and, as the chief, on looking through the glass, 
caught a glimpse of the orb on the level with the horizon, 
he cried out to his companions with perfect astonishment, 

'* The white man's God is a red God; has brought 

him down to the water to speak to him." 

When the crew were engaged in curing Eeche-le-mer, 
it became necessary to work through the night, and the 
hired natives with ourselves stood " watch and watch." 
The officer's watch, by which the time was kept, was a 
source of continual wonder to the natives. To prevent 
their annoying inquisitiveness, they were told that there 
was a little man in the watch who told the time. They 
were perfectly satisfied with this reply, and frequently 
inquired, in the watches of the night, what the little man 
said about going to sleep. 

They had the same superstitious regard for the lock 
of a musket, the action of the main-spring, written char- 
acters, Stc. Natives were sometimes sent with a written 
order to the ship, that they might obtain articles due to 
them. It was with great difficulty that they were persuad- 
ed that the piece of paper would produce the article ; and, 
when finally convinced of the fact, readily believed that 
some supernatural power was connected with it. 

Whilst they thus readily believe an absurdity, they 
treat scientific facts with the utmost contempt. One clear 
and beautiful night, after the loss of the ship, a chief 
with many of his followers and one of our officers was 



ARRIVAL AT LUZON. THUNDER-STORM. 59 

lying on the ground near the Boore. The chief, who 
was of a thoughtful disposition, inquired how the ship 
found its way to his country. This brought on a discus- 
sion respecting theoretical navigation. The officer began 
discoursing on the simplest rudiments of school-boy as- 
tronomy, and though he stated nothing but scientific facts, 
his explanations were received with complete derision, 
and the chief with a sneer asked him how long it was 
since he had visited the moon and stars. The lecturer 
was completely nonplussed by this interruption, and his 
andience broke out into the wildest laughter, and, fre- 
quently on meeting him afterwards in his walks, taunted 
him with his fictions about the " Great Spirit's eyes." 



CHAPTER V. 



Arrival at Luzon — Severe thunder-storm — A visit from the Telegraph sta- 
tion — Anchorage off Civete — Description of that place — The Peasantry — 
Fourth of July — Sail for Manilla — Appearance of the city — River Pa- 
sig — Fort — Aborigines — Chinese — Their dress, food, mechanical skill — 
Their Junks — Spanish, English and American residents — The schooner 
Antarctic — The Glide sails for the Sandwich Islands. 

After a passage of fifty days, the Glide came in sight 
of Luzon, the largest of the Phillippine Islands. 

Whilst passing through the strait St. Bernard, we ex- 
perienced a very severe thunder-storm, accompanied with 
torrents of rain. The lightning was so intensely vivid as 
to blind our eyes at each successive flash, and, during 
the terrific peals of thunder, we almost unconsciously 
closed our ears. Although every link of our chain-con- 
ductor seemed to be surcharged with electricity, and to 



60 TELEGRAPH STATION. CIVETE. 

sparkle with the descending fluid, yet, with three hundred 
casks of powder on board, we were carried safely 
through. 

On our entrance into the bay, we received a short visit 
from several persons belonging to the telegraph station, 
and then immediately stood on for Civete, a town situated 
on the island Luzon, about ten miles from Manilla. We 
soon reached the port, and, after dropping anchor within 
a mile of the town, two officers came on board, who, from 
their inquiries, I judged were the captain of the port and 
the visiting physician. 

One of the crew, who had been sometime ill, was im- 
mediately removed to the hospital, where, in a few days, 
he recovered his health sufficiently to resume his usual 
duties. 

Civete presents signs of considerable trade. It has 
several hundred stores, mostly occupied by Chinese, 
who, with Spaniards, seem to compose full two-thirds of 
a population of nearly ten thousand persons. The streets, 
though narrow and irregular, are generally paved and 
edged with stone side-walks. The houses are chiefly of 
wood, two stories high, and with gable ends of triangular 
form facing the street. The cross, surmounting the 
churches, denotes the dominant religion. 

Of a pleasant morning ashore, a motley company of 
men, women and children on donkies, hastening from the 
suburbs to market with their commodities, was an amu- 
sing spectacle. One donkey I observed deliberately pa- 
cing his way with four boys upon his back, each having a 
basket of wares. Many other groups, almost as pictu- 
resque, were travelling along. At the market-place itself 
was much stir: butchers, poulterers, fruiterers and other 
dealers exhibiting what they had for sale, and bargaining 
with yankee-like shrewdness. 



FOURTH OF JULY. SAIL FOR MANILLA. 61 

July 4th. Being almost antipodes to our friends at 
home, we were awakened on the morning of our national 
anniversary by no patriotic bells or cannon. No accla- 
mations rent the air. We saw no long civic procession 
with its glittering soldiers and martial music, and heard 
no loud encomiums of our fathers' valor and our coun- 
try's glory. In honor of the day we would gladly have 
fired a salute at sunrise and sunset; but this would have 
violated the regulations of the port. We, however, sent 
aloft the " stars and stripes," and they waved proudly at 
the mizen-peak. Many of us had leave to go ashore, 
and we rambled about the interior of the island, making 
the most of our day's independence, and enjoying the 
new and beautiful scenery. From this excursion we re- 
turned to the ship much delighted. Indeed, some of our 
number, either from the inspiration of the day or another 
cause, were in excessively high spirits. 

At Civete, we remained eight or ten days, during 
which time the ship was thoroughly repaired. We then 
sailed for Manilla to discharge our cargo, which had been 
sold to certain Chinese merchants. 

Manilla is pleasantly situated upon the western coast 
of Luzon, is of some commercial importance, and has a 
large population. A high wall, completely surrounding 
the city, amply defends it. A substantial bridge, of two 
or three furlongs' length, crossing the river Pasig nearly 
a mile from the open sea, connects it with its suburbs. 
Manilla, from the harbor, is a pleasing sight. The com- 
pactness of its buildings, and its numerous spires make it 
seem larger than it is. 

On a massive pier at the end of a mole extending into 
the harbor at the left of the entrance into the river Pasig, 
is a large lighthouse, which is kept in excellent order 
6 



62 FORT. ABORIGINES. 

by the government, and adds much to the commercial 
interests of Manilla. 

Opposite this lighthouse is the fort, adjoining the wall, 
which is well supplied with means of defence, and seems 
to be an effectual barrier to the intrusion of hostile ves- 
sels. The shallowness of the water also at this place, 
adds to the security of the city. 

The river Pasig, where it flows by the city proper, is 
full of animation at all times of the day; boats of various 
sorts and sizes constantly plying hither and thither; and 
washer-women beating clothes along the banks with 
stones and billets of wood. Scores of boats belonging to 
vessels in the harbor may sometimes be seen going up 
the stream, which is fresh a half-mile above the bridge, 
and returning with their supplies. The extreme width of 
the Pasig is not over six furlongs. It is navigable by 
small vessels as far as the bridge. 

The native-inhabitants of Manilla are of short stature 
and olive complexion. They have coarse, black hair, 
which is usually worn close cut on the back of the head, 
and long in front. 

Though seemingly a temperate people, they devote 
much time to card-playing, cock-fighting and similar spe- 
cies of gambling. Treacherous, covetous, and too indo- 
lent to earn an honest livelihood, they practice every vil- 
lany to get money. Notwithstanding severe laws and 
a vigorous police, assassinations of foreigners, under the 
cover of night, are not infrequent. They live mostly in 
the outskirts of the city, in wretched tenements, and sub- 
sist chiefly on rice and fish. 

Eight Manilla-men were shipped by Captain Archer 
for the return voyage to the Fijiis. They showed a very 
vicious and malevolent disposition, and were exceedingly 
disagreeable companions. Had they had physical force 



CHINESE. THEIR DRESS. 63 

enough, they would, no doubt, have applied it to some 
knavish end. Yet are found exceptions to this general 
character. In my walks about Civete and Manilla, I 
saw some copper-colored men, who were of courteous 
and honorable demeanor. And some of the most efficient 
military companies are composed of them. 

The industrious habits of resident Chinese are in strik- 
ing contrast with the sluggishness of the Aborigines. 
They are principally tradesmen and mechanics. Con- 
sistently with their national vanity they associate but 
little with others. Their dislike of interference and te- 
nacity of what they deem their rights, I had, both at this 
time and subsequently, good opportunities to observe. 
They are, in truth, a peculiar people, as is manifest 
from their studied non-intercourse with the rest of man- 
kind, and their exclusion of foreigners and their innova- 
tions from the towns and cities of the Celestial Empire. 

However laudable may be the curiosity of those out- 
side the walls of China to know more of what is done 
within them, and to explain its mysterious exclusiveness, 
yet the attempt of other nations forcibly to enter her do- 
minions must be regarded as an assumption of power, a 
breach of international courtesy, and of a right universal- 
ly held and acknowledged. 

The Chinese, like other people, consume much time 
in arranging their hair. I have frequently seen them sit 
an hour at work upon it. The whole head is kept bare, 
except a circle about the crown, from which the hair, 
skilfully braided and tapering to a point, descends to 
a great length. However repulsive to our notions this 
mode may be, nothing can surpass the symmetry and 
beauty of the braid. Whether the desire of not dis- 
turbing this nice adjustment of their hair, or of dis- 
playing it to better advantage, be their motive for not 



64 CHINESE. THEIR FOOD, AND MECHANICAL SKILL. 

wearing hats, I know not; but of hundreds of Chinese, 
whom I saw in the streets of Manilla, all but two or three 
were bareheaded. 

The dress of the wealthier Chinese in Manilla, consists 
of a frock and trowsers, made of the richest silks and 
crapes, with numerous clasps of gold and silver, satin 
shoes, and knee-caps curiously embroidered. The dress of 
the poorer sort is of similar style, but of coarser material. 

The taste of the higher classes, in respect of food, is 
singular. Beche-le-mer, sharks' fins, and swallows' 
nests purified by a peculiar process, are their especial 
luxuries. The lower classes subsist on rice, which much 
abounds, and is easily obtained, though they also eat 
voraciously such dainties as rats, cats and dogs. These 
animals I frequently saw hawked about the streets of 
Manilla, and exposed for sale in the Chinese stalls. 

However much we may laugh at the fancied superior- 
ity of the Chinese in other matters, we ought certainly to 
give credit for their nice mechanical skill in little things. 
The beautiful specimens of their manufacture, which I 
saw in their stores at Civete and Manilla, greatly sur- 
prised me. Among them were exquisite fans, made of 
sandal wood and the rice plant, and silk shawls and ker- 
chiefs of elaborate finish. 

The Chinese junks are singular and ill-constructed 
vessels. At a mile's distance, their appearance, like 
huge floating castles, struck me as somewhat imposing. 
But a closer view dispelled the illusion. Such clumsy 
contrivances for sailing, I never saw before. They are 
of crescent form, with a profusion of ornamental carved 
work, and poop and prow marked so indistinctly, that, 
till I discerned two monstrous eyes painted near the wa- 
ter-line, I could hardly distinguish stem from stern. 
Every thing about them seemed to be at loose ends. The 



SPANISH, ENGLISH AND AMERICAN RESIDENTS. 65 

junk, like a common ship, has three masts, to each of 
which, and of proportional size, is affixed a parallelogram- 
shaped matting sail, strengthened by stout bamboos, ar- 
ranged like reef-bands in a ship's topsails. To the ex- 
tremities of these bamboos, ropes, reaching to the deck, 
are attached, to reef and furl the canvass. The labor of 
raising the mainsail, which has a hoist of twenty five feet 
or more, and weighs much, is very great. Twenty men 
I have seen busily occupied an hour in hoisting it. 

How superior to such ungainly craft was our beautiful 
ship. Here were time and place for everything; here 
every man knew his duty, and " with a will " performed 
it. Before the junk's mainsail could have been hoisted, 
we could have got ready for sea, weighed anchor, and 
sheeted home our sails. And had there been any occa- 
sion of hostilities, we might, perhaps, have shown a spe- 
cimen of Yankee prowess, that would somewhat have 
disconcerted the " Children of the Sun." 

Manilla being in the power of Spain, her civil and ec- 
clesiastical affairs are conducted, in the main, by Span- 
ish deputies. At the corners of the principal streets, and 
along the embankments of the river, may be seen many 
officers in uniform, maintaining a keen espionage over 
the people generally, and passengers on landing. Holy 
Padres too, with crucifixes and pictures of the Virgin 
hanging from their necks, perambulate the streets, bare- 
headed and barefooted, impressive representatives of the 
Romish Church. 

At Manilla is a goodly number of English and Amer- 
ican residents. They belong to the trading part of the 
community, and many of them are said to have acquired 
great riches. 

It much disappointed the crew to hear that Capt. A. 
had determined to return to the Fijiis for another cargo 
6* 



66 AN AMERICAN WHALE-SHIP. 

of Beche-le-mer; for the consciousness of having taken, 
as we hoped, a final leave of the Fijii Islands, with all 
the toils and perils we had there endured, much animat- 
ed our spirits, and we looked forward with eager joy to 
the ship's lading at Manilla for the homeward voyage. 

The day before our departure, the schooner Antarctic, 
commanded by Captain Morrell of New-York, sailed for 
the Washington Islands. She passed within a few rods 
of the Glide. She was a beautiful vessel, of a fine model, 
and well proportioned, with decks spacious and of chalky- 
whiteness, and her sails, rigging and spars were in per- 
fect order. Cannon projected from her port -holes, and 
there were, I should think, forty men aboard, chiefly 
Manilla men. An account of this vessel's disastrous 
voyage, and of the massacre of her first officer, Mr 
Wallace, and many of the crew, has been published* 

July 17th. Saturday. We sailed this day for the Fi- 
jiis by the way of the Sandwich Islands. 



CHAPTER VI. 



An American whale-ship — Arrival at Maui — Lahaina — A Missionary meet- 
ing — Respect shown by the natives for the Sabbath — Departure — Owy- 
hee — Penrhyn's Island — Attacked by the natives — Narrow escape of the 
Captain — Perilous situation — The Glide fills away. 

Little occurred to disturb the monotony of our passage, 
rendered longer than usual by light winds almost con- 
stantly prevailing, until, for the first time during nearly 
ninety days, a distant vessel was descried. Those only, 
who have been long on the sea can know how gratefully 
the cry, " Sail ho !" fell upon our ears, and made our 



ARRIVAL AT MAUI. LAHAINA. 67 

hearts beat quicker with their gladdened blood. In a 
short time we drew near enough to see the American flag 
floating from the vessel's mast-head. Although anxious 
to speak the stranger, we were prevented from so doing 
by whales suddenly appearing in our midst. The vessel 
"hove to," to secure them, and the Glide, lest she 
should disturb the fish, courteously veered a few points. 
Several of the whales were secured, and the opportunity 
to observe the mode of their capture somewhat made up 
for our disappointment. 

The next day, October the ninth, the Glide arrived at 
Maui, one of the Sandwich Islands. The sight of this 
lovely island, the grateful smell of land, and the prospect 
of a change of food, much enlivened our spirits. 

We had hardly secured our anchorage off the village 
of Lahaina, when we were visited by some natives, from 
whom we obtained goats, fowls, yams, taro, bread-fruit, 
cocoa-nuts and various other articles of food, abundant 
and of good quality. We had been surfeited with salt 
provisions, and this supply of fresh food was truly accept- 
able and timely. 

Maui is one of the Sandwich Islands, next in size to 
Hawaii. From the shore as far back as the mountains, 
a mile's distance, the land is low and in a highly culti- 
vated state. Farther beyond, the soil is sterile, and the 
face of the country remarkably abrupt. 

The village of Lahaina contains about forty or fifty 
buildings constructed in the native fashion, but having a 
cleanly appearance. A few rods behind the compact 
settlement is the residence of the Rev. Mr. Richards. 
This is a neat edifice, two stories high, painted white, 
with a piazza in front, and shaded by trees, looking very 
tastefully and pleasantly. All who had occasion to men- 



68 A MISSIONARY MEETING. 

tion the name of this devoted missionary spoke of him 
with high respect. 

On the Sunday after our arrival at Maui, several of 
the crew, and among them myself, went ashore to attend 
divine service. Although not incredulous of what I had 
often heard concerning the Sandwich Islanders' renun- 
ciation of idolatry and of their conversion to the Christian 
faith, I was curious to see and judge for myself. Seven- 
teen months, too, had rolled away since a preacher's voice 
saluted my ear, and to revive recollections of home and 
of its sacred enjoyments, was a strong motive to attend 
the meeting. 

The services were held in a retired spot, where the 
burning sun was shaded, and the light agreeably softened 
by the dense foliage of trees. From the branch of a 
large, old tree, which stood near the entrance of this 
arbor, hung the bell that summoned the islanders to their 
worship. 

Towards this sacred place we saw the natives wending 
their way, as the " second bell " began to ring. Their 
deportment was becoming, yet we could not but smile at 
the singular dress of some of them. It was precisely 
what might be expected in a people just emerging from 
wholly savage life. One was girt with a strip of native 
cloth, and, over it, he wore a blue broadcloth coat : 
another, besides his tapa of native cloth, strutted along 
with a pair of high-heeled boots and an umbrella; and 
still another gratified his newly acquired taste with a pair 
of trowsers and a cane. Other similar combinations of 
dress were to be observed. 

As soon as the Rev. Mr. Richards and his wife had 
entered, we went in, and seated ourselves upon the 
ground under a tree. The natives were gathered around 
in various postures, many of them sitting on chairs and 



RESPECT FOR THE SABBATH. b9 

stools, which they had brought with them from their 
homes. Near the minister was the choir, of about twenty 
persons, who, judging from their demeanor and dress, I 
took to be chiefs and their wives. 

Although the exercises were conducted in the Ha- 
waiian language, and not. understood by us, yet the famil- 
iar form of worship and the American preacher made the 
occasion extremely impressive. After witnessing the 
awful excesses of Paganism at the Fijii Islands, what we 
now saw seemed more like a beautiful vision, sent to turn 
our thoughts awhile from the hardships of our lot, than a 
reality. A more orderly congregation I never witnessed. 
Here and there amid the listening group might be seen 
some gray-haired man, who, for over three-score years, 
had paid to idol-gods unhallowed worship, but whose dim 
eyes were now blessed with Gospel light. 

After the sermon, the whole congregation arose and 
sang " Old Hundred " in their native tongue. I could 
not but be thankful that all languages were alike to Om- 
niscience. Memory was busy with the past, and I was 
deeply affected. Who could be otherwise, in such a 
place, under such circumstances, with all tender and 
hallowed associations crowding in upon the mind ? Paine 
himself could not have looked in upon that assembly now 
joining in the praises of God, whose voices had once been 
united in savage yells and war-songs only, without being 
convinced by so practical an argument, that there is 
something in Religion which his philosophy could not 
fathom. The whole occasion was religiously sublime, — 
Nature's children, in Nature's temple, worshipping the 
Christian's God. 

From what I could see, I judged that the natives had 
much respect for the Sabbath. During the intermission 
between the services a becoming stillness pervaded the 



70 DEPARTURE. 

village; and the canoes, which on the day previous were 
studding the harbor, had all been hauled up on shore. 

The American Mission here appeared to be in a flour- 
ishing condition. Among other indications of its pros- 
perity was a new church, which we noticed was nearly 
completed, and which, certainly, was much needed at 
Lahaina. 

Our very short stay at this island, and the pressure of 
work abroad, prevented our going ashore as often as we 
could have desired. I defer then, for the present, a more 
minute description of the Sandwich Islanders, as we af- 
terwards had better opportunities to learn their general 
character. 

October the fifteenth. The Glide now sailed for the 
Fijii Islands. Passing within sight of Owyhee, I looked 
upon the grandeur of its scenery with pleasure, and with 
pain called to mind the illustrious navigator, Captain 
Cook, who was here so cruelly slain. 

When within a few miles of Penrhyn's island, situated 
in 9° 12' South Latitude, and in 157° 43' West Longi- 
tude, we noticed some canoes, filled with savages, coming 
off to the ship. Wishing to procure some grass for our 
live stock, we "hove to," and awaited their approach. 
Their number and strength made it prudent to put our- 
selves in a defensive position; each man was armed, and 
our cannon, loaded with grape-shot, were run out at the 
port-holes. 

Presently were alongside fifty or sixty of the most re- 
pulsive monsters that I ever beheld; very tall, of com- 
plexion unmixed black; with coarse, stiff hair, like hogs' 
bristles, and their language, if such it was, more resem- 
bling dog-barking than articulate speech. Their whole 
aspect was truly terrific. They were not permitted to 
come on board, but only to clamber up the sides of the 



ATTACKED BY THE NATIVES. 71 

vessel. The ship's "channels" fore and aft, on both 
sides, were filled with them. The Glide's company was 
about thirty men, all armed; yet our situation was very 
perilous. 

Whilst Captain Archer was selecting some articles of 
trade, a spear was hurled at him by a savage standing in 
the larboard mizen channels. I stood within four or five 
feet of the captain, and saw the savage, but his move- 
ment was so quick, that I could not in season give the 
alarm. The captain was leaning over the larboard hen- 
coop, his back was towards the savage, and but for a 
providential turning of his head, the spear would have 
pierced his neck; as it was, it grazed his neck, and in- 
flicted a slight wound. 

This seemed to be a signal for attack; the savages 
became exceedingly clamorous. The captain command- 
ed "^re." It was a fearful order, and was fearfully 
obeyed. Five or six savages, among them the one who 
hurled the spear, were shot, and fell back with a death- 
shriek into the sea. Others were severely wounded by 
our boarding-pikes and cutlasses. Two or three of the 
crew were slightly injured in keeping the natives from 
the deck. Had the captain's order been a moment de- 
layed, the savages must have gained an ascendency over 
us, and the fate of the Glide and of her crew been sealed, 
and never, probably, known. 

As soon as the captain's command had been obeyed, I 
started, being the nearest at hand, and let go the wea- 
ther main-brace. The captain immediately ordered to 
fill away. A six-knot breeze was blowing, and the yards 
having been quickly rounded, the motion was soon suffi- 
cient to embarrass the savages, and we were enabled to 
drive them from the ship. 

To the firmness and decision of Captain Archer in this 



72 ARRIVAL AT CORO. 

fearful emergency, we owed our preservation; yet, I 
have ever regarded the attempt to trade with these mon- 
sters, under such circumstances, as an unwarrantable 
exposure. 

As the ship moved on, the savages were obliged to re- 
treat, and we left them astern in the utmost confusion. 
Their situation was truly pitiable. The sun had set; 
there was a heavy sea, and the wind was freshening. 
They were five miles from their island. Some were 
swimming about hither and thither, to recover their ca- 
noes, which had been upset by the ship's progress; some 
went soon to the bottom, and others, who had gained 
their canoes, sat hideously bemoaning the desolation 
around them; their eyes rolled wildly, as they hurled 
their spears towards the ship, and they howled and gnash- 
ed their teeth like so many fiends of darkness. 

We passed within a mile of the island, and observed 
numerous fires kindled along the shore, probably, as 
beacons to guide back the natives who had attacked us. 

Penrhyn's Island is apparently about ten miles in cir- 
cumference, but a few feet above the level of the sea, 
and is partially surrounded by a narrow belt of coral 
rock. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Arrival at Coro — Loss of the brig Fawn — Sail for Overlou ; arrive there, 
and commence trade — David Whelpy — The King of Bou and his war- 
riors — Relieve four shipwrecked Englishmen — A severe storm — Massa- 
cre of two men — Sail for Miambooa. 

After pleasantly sailing for six weeks we were again 
at the Fijii Islands. As we were passing Coro, some 



LOSS OF BRIG FAWN. ARRIVAL AT OVERLOU. ?3 

natives came off to the ship, and supplied us with fresh 
provisions. Among them were several Tongatabooans, 
who, the year before, had aided us in curing beche-de-la- 
mer. They expressed more pleasure in seeing us, than 
we felt, in visiting them again; for the prospect was not 
cheering to us, of spending here six months more, ex- 
posed to dangerous reefs and storms and hostile tribes. 
Shells, clubs and spears, which the crew exchanged with 
the natives for Chinese trinkets, added much to our stock 
of curiosities, which now made a respectable museum of 
our spacious forecastle. 

A few days after our arrival at the Fijiis, we were in- 
formed of the loss of the brig Fawn of Salem, by one of 
her crew. The frequent disasters, which had here oc- 
curred, and our perils also, made it very probable, that 
the Glide herself would never reach home. 

On the twenty-fourth of November, the Glide arrived 
at Overlou. Our first and third officers, with a portion 
of the crew, were despatched in one of the boats to La- 
kamba, an island about twenty miles distant, to open and 
conduct the intended traffic in beche-de-la-mer, for the 
shallow water prevented the ship's sailing thither; and 
aboard was carried on a trade in tortoise-shell and san- 
dal wood with the savages of Overlou, Bou and Bratta. 

Knowing that on the completion of our second cargo 
we were to leave the Fijiis finally, the men at Lakamba 
worked with zeal. The men aboardship were no less in- 
dustrious. The armorer and his mate manufactured 
knives, chisels, and other cutlery for exchange. The 
carpenter was busy at his bench. Aloft some were re- 
pairing the rigging; on deck, others were mending sails, 
and making matting-bags to pack beche-de-la-mer. The 
sun shone not on a more faithful crew. The captain 
traded with the natives, when they came alongside, and 
7 



74 DAVID WHELPY. THE KING OF BOU. 

directed all matters aboard. Thus prosperously passed 
several weeks. 

We were frequently visited by David Whelpy, the 
American chieftain at Overlou; sometimes accompanied 
by two or three of his warriors. He was usually dressed 
as a sailor, and had with him a loaded rifle, whose good 
qualities were the main topic of his conversation. He 
also told us much concerning his singular life, and his 
adopted people, over whom he seemed to have great in- 
fluence, owing to his superior wisdom, and the good 
terms existing between him and the powerful king of 
Bou. 

The king of Bou himself sometimes visited us. When 
this old chief, whose complexion was " darkness visible," 
out of which peered two deep-set glaring eye-balls, with 
a grizly beard tapering to a point a foot below his chin, 
first came alongside, in his large double canoe, of curi- 
ous and imposing structure, able to hold a hundred per- 
sons or more, and with a triangular matting sail as large 
as the Glide's maintopsail; — accompanied by forty or fifty 
vigorous black warriors, huge, but symmetrical in shape, 
with elegant white turbans on their heads, and ornaments 
of various kinds hanging from their ears, girt with snow- 
white tapas, and holding massive clubs and spears, which 
they could use with terrible effect; the whole spectacle 
was truly impressive, yet, when the whole savage com- 
pany, as it were " Satan and his peers," came on board 
the ship, I could not but have and express to a comrade 
my fears of the event. 

The general belief that the king, though tyrannical to 
his subjects, was friendly to the whites, accounts for so 
many savages being allowed to come on board, and go 
about among the men, who, while at work, were unarmed. 
This friendship, I doubt not, really existed. His Majesty 



RELIEVE SHIPWRECKED ENGLISHMEN. 75 

was highly delighted with his visits aboard, and with good 
reason, for here he found a certain friend of his, Alcohol 
by name. He generally issued from his friend's quarters 
with a step somewhat less majestic than with what he 
entered them. 

One morning, Dec. 10th, about forty of the savages 
of Overlou brought some fruit off to the ship, ostensibly 
for trade. Two or three only of these savages, such was 
their known character, were allowed to come on board 
at a time. But nine or ten of the crew were present, 
variously occupied, and in different parts of the ship. 
The armorer and myself were at work together on the 
forecastle. In a short time our suspicions were excited 
by seeing them engaged in close conversation, and count- 
ing the men " Eudonga, Rua, Tolo, Va, Leema, Ono, 
Vetti," &c, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, &c. 
The armorer was going aft to inform the captain of this 
circumstance, when our second officer, on looking over 
the ship's side, saw some savages busily passing up 
weapons to others standing in the "channels." The 
men aloft, having also perceived this manoeuvre, hurried 
down upon deck, and discharged a volley of musketry 
over the heads of the savages, which dispersed them. 
Some leaped into the sea, others into their canoes, and 
swam or paddled ashore in great consternation, leaving 
behind many clubs and spears. 

While we were at Overlou, a large double canoe ar- 
rived there from Bou, bringing four Englishmen, who 
had been wrecked among the Islands. They had no 
other clothing than the tapa about the waist; two of them 
were much emaciated by long illness, and all were worn 
down by privation and distress. Captain Archer at once 
supplied them with suitable apparel and medicines. The 
crew also gladly contributed to their wants. In return, 



76 A SEVERE STORM, 

they were efficient helpers in curing beche-de-Ia-mer. 
One was an excellent singer, and relieved our toil with 
his charming songs. With this addition we were thirty- 
three in number. 

On the 16th of December we encountered a terrific 
storm, which continued nearly two days. We lost both 
of our bower-anchors by the parting of their cables, and 
had only the ship's kedge left, to which we lashed one of 
the guns, and bent the remainder of the chain-cable. 
We anxiously awaited the event of the storm, for near 
at hand were dangerous rocks and reefs, and we were in 
the neighborhood of the most ferocious savages of the 
Fijiis. At length, to our extreme joy, the gale abated 
without the ship's receiving serious damage. 

A calm succeeded the storm, but the cable of our re- 
maining anchor having parted, probably by contact with 
rocks at the bottom, the ship was driven upon a reef by 
the force of the current. As this disaster happened 
about midnight, the drifting of the ship was unobserved 
by the watch on deck, and no danger was perceived, until 
we struck. "All hands ahoy, the ship is among the 
breakers!" was no sooner cried than heeded. The boats 
were immediately lowered, and sent ahead with tow-lines 
attached to the bowsprit, but so strong was the current, 
and such was the length of cable dragging on the bottom, 
that the most strenuous exertions were made for an hour 
to little purpose. Beside the critical position of the ship, 
the connection of the reef with the shore caused appre- 
hension of an attack from the savages in our almost de- 
fenceless condition. But relief came. A gentle breeze 
arose, filled our loosened sails, and soon freed us from 
the reef. It was now between the first and second hours 
of the morning, and we were darkly feeling our way 
along, in momentary expectation of striking some hidden 



MASSACRE OF TWO MEN. 77 

rock. Day, however, at last dawned upon us, and we 
were safe. 

We now bore away for Soma Soma, to procure the 
cables and anchors of the wrecked brig Fawn; and after 
accomplishing our purpose, returned to our anchorage 
offOverlou. 

At early dawn, one morning after our return, the sec- 
ond officer, carpenter, and six of the foremast hands were 
sent ashore to get an anchor-stalk. The boat as usual 
when despatched ashore, was well supplied with arms and 
ammunition. When the beach was gained, one of the 
party, a boy, was left in charge of the boat, and the rest 
repaired to the nearest woods to cut a suitable piece of 
timber. Presently, about twenty savages appeared on 
the beach, some armed with clubs and spears, and others 
bearing parcels of fruit, which they had brought, seem- 
ingly, to solicit traffic. Finding the men too busy to 
trade with them, and observing but one person in charge 
of the boat, they much annoyed the boy, and at length 
boldly began to lay hold on the contents of the boat. 
The boy instantly gave an alarm. The men hearing 
the cry were making for the boat, when the savages in a 
body, rushed towards them. Our men levelling their 
loaded muskets, retreated backward to the beach, avoid- 
ing with great difficulty the clubs and spears hurled at 
them by the natives. Thus all but two reached the boat. 
One of these as he came down to the water's edge, im- 
prudently discharged his musket, and was instantly at- 
tacked and overpowered. He succeeded in throwing 
himself into the water, and after swimming a few strokes, 
was seen to lift his head streaming with blood, and with 
his hand beckon feebly for the boat, which, amidst the 
excitement, had been shoved off into deep water. He 
was followed by the savages, again attacked, dragged 
7* 



78 MASSACRE OF TWO MEN. 

ashore and slain. The other unfortunate man rushed 
from the woods, hewing his way with the butt of his mus- 
ket through the crowd of assaulters, and fell dead at the 
beach. 

Whilst the crew on board were busily engaged in 
washing decks, the fearful war-cry of the natives fell 
upon our ears. David Whelpy, who was sitting with 
some members of his tribe, upon the taferel, cried out, 
" There is trouble with your shipmates ashore!" Seeing 
the flash and hearing the report of the musket, I ran aft 
to give the alarm to Captain Archer, who hastened up 
on deck, and, after scanning the beach with his " glass," 
to see the state of affairs, ordered off to the shore a boat, 
in which Whelpy himself went; and his native friends in 
their canoe. 

Our feelings may be imagined as we bent over the 
ship's side, and watched in silence the first boat making 
towards us, having on board, as we saw, six only of the 
eight men, who twenty minutes before had left the ship. 
Who had been left behind we knew not, until on a nearer 
approach, one of the .crew exclaimed, U I do not see 
Derby," " nor I Knight," added another. * 

As the boat reached the ship, and the survivors came 
slowly up the side, though no word was spoken, their 
countenances showed with what dismay they had wit- 
nessed the murder of their comrades. As soon as our 
minds could grasp the tragical reality, unbidden tears 
fell from the eyes of all on board. 

The lifeless bodies of the two men were found by the 
second boat's company, lying on the beach, stripped of 

* Joshua Derby and Enoch Knight, both belonging to Salem, Ms. About 
the same time, I believe, during the same month, a brother of Mr. Knight, 
the first officer of the Ship Friendship, of Salem, was massacred by the 
natives of Quallah Battoo — Sumatra. 



MASSACRE OF TWO MEN. 79 

their clothing, and dreadfully mangled. They were 
wrapped in garments, immediately brought aboard, and 
laid out upon the quarter-deck. About eleven o'clock 
of the same day, they were committed to the care of Da- 
vid Whelpy, who carried them to his section of the island, 
and buried them. 

Although no funeral services were formally held, yet 
in the hearts of all that looked upon the dead, and walked 
the deck in sadness, were solemn thoughts of death and 
earnest hopes, that this severe and unexpected stroke 
might influence for good our after lives. 

In the afternoon of the same day Captain Archer, with 
singular prudence and energy, despatched the second 
officer in a boat to Lakamba, to inform the party there of 
the massacre, and to order them back to the ship. Our 
men there, we afterwards learned, had strong reasons to 
apprehend an attack from the savages at that place, (who 
had doubtless heard of the murder) which was probably 
prevented by the defensive condition in which a season- 
able reinforcement enabled them to put the premises. 

The report which we had heard on good authority, 
that the neighboring chiefs had conspired to murder " all 
hands " and take the ship, was confirmed not only by 
what had occurred, but also by our seeing canoes, filled 
with armed natives, sailing hither and thither, near the 
shore, out of the range of our cannon and muskets, as if 
in defiance of that " retaliation " which the men of both 
boats, as they the next day returned from Lakamba, and 
one by one came on board the ship, armed each with 
loaded rifles, proclaimed alike by looks and words. 

Happily our surviving crew were now all together, 
and united in purpose by a common peril. The four 
Englishmen also eagerly joined in all our plans. Our 
boarding-nettings were triced up, our large guns were 



80 ARRIVAL AT MIAMBOOA. 

double-shotted, and prepared for instant use; and mus- 
kets, pistols, pikes and cutlasses were seized by the men, 
impatient for revenge. After due preparation for the at- 
tack, the launch and two quarter-boats were brought 
alongside, and to the first officer was committed the 
charge of the little fleet, which at once directed its course 
towards the savages; and they, terrified on perceiving 
themselves to be the object of pursuit, leaped from their 
canoes, and swiftly swam ashore. Our men pressed on, 
and gaining the beach, destroyed several canoes, and 
drove the savages to their retreats among the mountains; 
having in the onset, it was said, slain a chief, the insti- 
gator of the murder, and wounded others. They then 
returned to the ship. 

December 29th. Having closed our business at La- 
kamba, we sailed for Miambooa, where we had, the year 
before, traded. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Arrival at Miambooa — Intelligence concerning our New Zealanders — Sail 
for Nungalooa — Another disaster — Sail for Bonne Rarah — Occupation — 
The King — Santa Beeta — Important event. 

On arriving at Miambooa, we learned that the king, 
with his chiefs, was at a feast in a town near Nungalooa 
bay; whither the first and third officers proceeded, with 
a guide, over the mountains, to make arrangements with 
him for trade; and meanwhile, the Glide sailed round to 
her former anchorage, about two miles from the entrance 
of the bay, and one from either shore. It was now the 
first day of January, 1831. The natives, in fulfilment of 



VISIT OF TIMBOOA. 81 

the contract with the king, at once began erecting build- 
ings for our use in curing fish. 

After the delay and trouble occasioned by our efforts, 
with very slender resources, to repair the rigging wnich 
was in a very bad condition; and having made a new 
mast, — for our mainmast had become much rotted, — out 
of a tree, purchased of the natives, (one being found, with 
great difficulty, suitable for our purpose,) we prepared to 
receive our cargo, and to meet what new dangers might 
be at hand, for we durst not yet believe them ended. 

His Majesty Timbooa came on board, with a party of 
his chiefs, to pay his respects, and heartily welcomed our 
return. We were sorry to hear from him, that Louis, 
as we called one of the five New Zealanders, who had 
been left here on our departure for Manilla, had been 
slain in a contest between the Miambooans, and natives 
of Bonne Rarah, a tribe living fifty miles off; and that the 
other four had probably fled, as they were not to be 
found. Captain Archer had made proper provision for 
them till his return, and Timbooa had endeavored to 
keep them among his people ; so that no one could be 
justly blamed for their disappearance. 

I felt a melancholy interest, shared, doubtless, by the 
rest, in again anchoring here. On many accounts, the 
place seemed to us like a home ; and our return recalled 
much to mind, that had made our life here somewhat 
eventful and adventurous; — as, the distressing death of 
young Richardson; the general repairing of the ship; — 
and the repeated burning, at night, of our buildings 
ashore. 

In a few days our establishment for curing fish was 
ready, and a trade was at once commenced with the na- 
tives, who industriously labored for us; for they, like all 
mankind, desired a little more worldly wealth, and were 



82 OUR BUILDINGS DESTROYED EY FIRE. 

not content, until, beside owning a knife (iscealy), a 
chisel (bellico), a hatchet (cogy-lyly), an axe (cogy-lib), 
and a string of blue beads (carah-carah-wah), they had 
also each earned a musket (antiki), and some ammuni- 
tion (antiki-massow). 

January 28th. Our hope, however, of soon filling out 
our cargo was soon disappointed; for, before the lapse 
of two weeks, "the buildings are afire! " again startled us, 
at midnight. Beside the personal danger to the shore- 
party, and general delay occasioned by these three dis- 
asters, of the same kind, that had befallen us, the pecu- 
niary loss of three hundred piculs of beche-de-la-mer, the 
aggregate stock destroyed at all the fires, was, at a low 
estimate, nine thousand dollars. Had not our trade been 
thus disastrously hindered, we should, probably, have 
obtained the residue of our cargo, in season to have 
avoided the crisis of our luckless voyage. 

The king, as soon as he could, constructed another 
set of buildings for our use, and then retired to his town, 
thirty miles distant. We continued with little success 
our recommenced business, until the thirteenth of Feb- 
ruary, when the natives again attempted to burn our 
houses, and seemed to be disposed, upon a favorable 
opportunity, to make aggression upon the shore party. 
The chiefs, in the king's absence, evidently favored this 
hostile purpose. Two boats were sent from the ship, to 
defend our people and property ashore ; and one morn- 
ing, the natives having made a slight attack were forced 
to retreat to the woods, through the superiority of 
muskets to their rude weapons. Our men sustained no 
loss. 

Our ill success here determined us to procure some- 
where a cargo; and, having set fire to our buildings, 
we sailed for Mudwater (or Bonne Rarah, as the natives 



ADVENTURE AT BONNE RARAH. 83 

call it). Just before departing for our new destination, 
the captain sent a boat ashore, under the command of 
our first officer, and manned by twelve of the crew well- 
armed, to get and bring to the ship a large bamboo-raft 
which he had recently bought of the natives, and which 
he supposed might be of service in constructing a new 
set of buildings at Bonne Rarah. The boat very soon 
reached the shore, and the men proceeded at once to the 
site of the burnt establishment, to seek among the ruins 
whatever articles might have been left by the shore-par- 
ty; but they found nothing of importance. While thus 
engaged, they were startled by the report of a musket 
near at hand. On looking about, to ascertain the source 
of the sound, they observed that one of their number was 
missing. Rushing forward whence the sound apparently 
came, they saw their companion in the act of reloading 
his musket. It seemed that he had gone to the nearest 
brook, to quench his thirst, and, while drinking, heard 
footsteps behind him. Looking around, he saw a savage 
creeping very softly and with uplifted club towards the 
place where his musket was lying, a few {eet from the 

brook. J sprang instantly for his gun, and succeeded 

in reaching it in advance of the savage, who finding his 
purpose thus frustrated, plunged into the bushes, to avoid 
being shot. J discharged his piece, though ineffec- 
tually, owing to his great excitement. In a few minutes, 
the party went to the beach, and after making the raft 
fast to the boat, began to tow it towards the ship. They 
had advanced hardly a cable's length from the shore, 
when a large number of savages appeared, and com- 
menced firing upon them. The balls flew so thickly 
about their heads, that they deemed it to be prudent to 
cut away the raft, and pull heartily for the ship. When 
the savages perceived this movement, they manifested 



84 ADVENTURE AT BONNE RARAH. 

great exultation with their gestures and war-yells. Ma- 
ny sprang into the water and swam for the raft, evidently 
determined to secure it for themselves. The raft, though 
valuable, was not worth the risk of life, yet the notion of 
its being taken away by savages, who had already de- 
stroyed much property, was very unacceptable, and in- 
spired a spirit of resistance. The first officer, with his 
usual intrepidity and firmness, ordered to have the oars 
double-manned, and to row back for the raft. Two men 
were stationed in the stern of the boat, to fire upon the 
savages, who had recommenced discharging their mus- 
kets, sending the balls, however, through their unskilful- 
ness, in every instance, over the heads of the men. The 
raft was again made fast to the boat, which was making 
for the ship, when the chief of the tribe, standing alone, 
drew attention to himself by challenging the boat's compa- 
ny to shoot him. They were aware that to wound or kill 
him, would, probably, end the affray, and relieve them 
from their perilous position. Accordingly, they directed 
their fire towards this savage. The motion of the boat, 
and the ceaseless dancing and jumping of the chief, made 
the shots uncertain, and several rounds were fired with- 
out effect. At length, the muskets were double-shotted, 
and, when discharged, brought him to the ground. All 
firing now ceased on both sides, and the attention of the 
natives was absorbed in lamentation for their dying 
chief. They beat each other, uttered most appalling 
yells, made wild and passionate gestures, and threw into 
the air their clubs and muskets. Some plunged madly 
into the sea; and others fell prostrate upon the beach, 
and lashed the sand with their brawny arms, in a perfect 
frenzy of excitement. The boat's company, leaving them 
to lament their great loss and greater folly, pulled for the 



THE KING. 85 

ship, which they safely reached, bringing in tow the 
raft. 

On arriving at Bonne Rarah, the ship anchored in the 
roadstead formed by a bend of land between that town 
and the island of Tacanova, which, though opening out 
to sea, North East and South West, is thought to be, 
ordinarily, safe enough, as the sea is resisted by the 
islands and reefs. The buildings belonging to the ship 
Clay's company were taken by ourselves, and a friendly 
traffic with the natives was commenced. 

The utmost available means were used, to secure our 
buildings from attack. A loaded swivel was mounted 
upon the premises, and each man was provided with suit- 
able defence. Every evening, at eight o'clock, the swiv- 
el was discharged, signifying " all's well," and answered 
by a similar salute from the ship, which also was well 
guarded. 

The king of Bonne Rarah, Mah-Mathee, a man appa- 
rently upwards of fifty years old, sedate and dignified in 
demeanor, corpulent, and of a very dark copper com- 
plexion, was daily aboard, accompanied by one of his 
warriors, and " next himself in power," Santa Beeta, the 
bust of whose comely and symmetrical features would 
adorn any collection of works of art, and whose manliness 
and grace of carriage were remarkable. His every look 
and gesture showed the strong and valorous chieftain. 

It is surprising that a man, in many respects so ami- 
able as the king of Bonne Rarah, should be found 
amongst such a barbarous people. A four months' obser- 
vation revealed nothing in his conduct immoral or base ; 
and his real kindness subsequently appeared in his care 
to protect our lives. 

Santa Beeta's excellence in handling the spear was 
thus singularly illustrated. A cocoa-nut was placed upon 
8 



86 SANTA BEETA. 

the windlass, and this chief standing near the tafferel, at 
the distance of about sixty feet, bent back at a fearful 
angle with the deck, and firmly grasping the spear by its 
centre, drove it, after careful aim, directly through the 

middle of the nut. So assured felt F , one of the 

crew, of Santa Beeta's skill and good faith, as to persist 
in standing within two feet, at the side, of the nut. 

Every boat load of beche-de-la-mer that came off from 
the shore was greeted with joy, for it added something to 
the cargo, which was fast being completed. Between 
the natives and ourselves friendly relations existed; so 
that our trade was undisturbed by hostile manoeuvres. 
The ship was in good order for sea, and we were almost 
ready for leaving the islands. At evening, the officers 
walked the quarter-deck with lighter steps, and the crew, 
well and happy, assembled upon the forecastle, which 
resounded with their mirth and songs. One of these 
songs was " Home, sweet home." As we sat under a 
clear, starlight sky, enjoying after hard work the grateful 
ocean-breeze, the inspiring chorus of this song burst 
forth, as if spontaneously, from our hearts, and recalled 
to memory long past days and distant scenes. Our ship- 
mates also ashore caught our pealing chorus, as it float- 
ed over the still water to their ears, and sent it back, like 
an echo, to the ship. 

March 21st. Hardly a cloud crossed the sun in 
the morning, or at noon, of this delightful day. To- 
wards night, however, the sky began to lower, and 
sudden gusts of wind, blowing violently down the high- 
lands, which, eastward, overhang the town of Bonne Ra- 
rah, caused the ship to careen strangely, and, although 
of brief duration, and followed by dead calms, gave 
tokens of a coming storm. The signal guns, at their 
usual hour, announced " all's well." Night soon gath- 



IMPORTANT EVENT. 



87 



ered about us with unwonted gloom, and it began to rain 
heavily and in torrents. At ten o'clock, the gale had so 
alarmingly increased, that all hands were called, and the 
captain gave orders to take down the topmasts. Our 
first officer and nearly half of the crew being on shore, 
we., were deprived of their valuable aid, and were obliged 
as best we could, to supply the deficiency in number. 
Besides, the violent careening of the vessel from side to 
side greatly confused us in performing our work. The 
slatting of ropes and blocks, the incessant creaking of 
masts and yards, the howling of the wind in every quar- 
ter, and roar of the breakers, as they burst upon the 
shore, made the men aloft almost deaf to orders, though 
trumpet-tongued: whilst on deck, amidst the deep dark- 
ness which shrouded the ship, man rushed against man, 
in eagerness and haste to do his duty. 

By midnight, notwithstanding all hindrances, we had 
succeeded in " housing " the foretopmast. The gale had 
become a perfect hurricane, but as the wind blew off 
shore, near which the ship lay, the sea was not raised so 
high as to put us in immediate danger. The bower, 
sheet-anchor and kedge were all down, and, thus far, had 
held the ship. But, suddenly, the wind veered north- 
ward, and, there being no barrier to its full violence, 
poured a strong and boisterous tide through the channel. 
The anchors, which had been secured from the wreck of 
the brig Fawn, to supply our loss in a previous storm, 
were much too small for the ship, and painful evidence 
that they were strained beyond their power, was soon 
given by the shrill voice of the leadsman, exclaiming, 
" She drags ! she drags !" 

The passage astern was filled, we well knew, with 
sunken rocks and small islands; and, to our great peril, 
the hurricane was momentarily increasing. To get down 



88 IMPORTANT EVENT, 

the main-topmast was now our chief object; which, not- 
withstanding the pitching of the ship against the waves 
that beat against her with terrific force, we were enabled 
to effect by early dawn, through the singular energy and 
skill of our second officer, who immediately controlled this 
duty, aided by the ready obedience and manful exertions 
of the crew. Still, after successive heavings of the lead, 
the unwelcome sound, at intervals, broke upon our ears, 
" She drags ! she drags !" 

The tempest was evidently at its height, as day dimly 
appeared, and although the fearfully expected crisis had 
not yet occurred, the ship had drifted very far, and, that 
she had not struck one of the many reefs or rocks, which 
must have lain in the course she had traversed, was 
owing, doubtless, to the strong tide, which swept her by 
them without essential injury. She was yet pitching 
madly in the heavy surge, and, at her every motion, the 
windlass was torn and splintered by the ceaseless fretting 
of the chain-cable. The rain and salt spray almost 
blinded us, yet, now and then, we caught glimpses of 
land and of reefs at a distance, which the breakers were 
dashing against, and covering with foam. 

At nine o'clock, the breakers were discerned, about 
twenty rods astern. The captain ordered to cut away 
the lower masts, our last and only alternative, and they 
soon fell by the board. The ship had drifted, by rough 
calculation, about ten miles, and was hastening to de- 
struction. The tempest was unabated in the least, and 
the anchors "came home " at every swell of the sea. 
No more could be done to save our hapless vessel, and 
officers and crew awaited the event in silent and thought- 
ful expectancy. The only human voice which mingled 
with the noise of elemental strife, was the occasional 



SANTA BEETA. 89 

piercing cry of the leadsman, sounding the knell of all 
our hopes, " She drags ! she drags !" 

A few minutes after ten o'clock she was driven and 
firmly imbedded upon a shore-reef, projecting from the 
island of Tacanova. 

Soon after the shock, we heard the water rushing into 
the hold, through a hole made by the rocks; the rudder 
was violently displaced, and the ship careening present- 
ed her larboard broadside to the sea. The tide, favora- 
bly, was at its height, so that the ship was wholly imped- 
ed on the reef, and our lives were saved; otherwise, she 
would, probably, have foundered alongside, in which case 
all on board must have perished. Thus, after being 
twenty-two months absent from port, was wrecked the 
Glide, one of the stateliest ships that ever sailed from 
Salem. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Santa Beeta — The Captain and others leave the wreck — Their mishaps — 
Natives come aboard — Remainder of the crew leave the ship — Savages 
encountered — Stop for the night— Resume our journey — Reach Bonne 
Rarah — A missing shipmate — Account of Mr. William Carey. 

It was our invariable rule, whenever a portion of the 
crew were permanently employed ashore, to retain some 
chief on board, as a hostage for their security. Accord- 
ingly, Santa Beeta was with us at this critical juncture, 
and, although consistently with the custom of these peo- 
ple, that on whose land a vessel is wrecked, the prize is 
his, lie walked forward, as soon as he saw the position of 
the ship, exclaiming, "This is my land — this ship is 
mine," evidently much elated by the acquisition; yet, as 
8* 



90 THE CREW LEAVE THE WRECK. 

we anxiously turned towards him, to gather from his 
countenance and conduct our probable fate, he kindly 
took us by the hand, offered us his aid, and assured us 
that our lives should be saved. 

Captain Archer prepared, as soon as possible, to leave 
the wreck, and to proceed, by Santa Beeta's advice, to 
Bonne Rarah, where we should be under his especial 
protection. We were unable to leave the wreck in a 
body, for the jolly-boat was sunk astern, and the launch 
had been lost in the storm. One of the quarter-boats 
was staved in being lowered; the other, however, was let 
down, and Captain Archer and a part of the crew, taking 
with them the ship's papers and a few articles of cloth- 
ing, left in the boat for the shore, intending to send her 
back to take off the second officer and the remainder of 
the crew. The water was comparatively smooth on the 
leeward side, whence the boat started, but, as she crossed 
the wake of the ship, where the force of the sea was 
wholly unbroken, she met a heavy wave, which upset 
her at once, and left her inmates to shift for themselves. 

The beach, fortunately, was lined with bushes, which 
the waves left bare as they receded. The luckless com- 
pany seized upon these bushes, and holding on firmly, as 
the sea swept over them, scrambled, as it retired, for the 
shore, which they all reached safely, with what clothes 
they were dressed, and drenched with salt water. 

In gaining land, they had indeed attained what is often 
the main hope of the shipwrecked mariner; yet the town, 
to which they were bound, was ten or twelve miles distant, 
and their course thither lay through a wild and lonely 
region, seldom travelled, and presenting many and va- 
rious dangers. Somewhat encouraged, however, by 
having already escaped numerous perils, and, especially, 
by their success in buffeting the waves, which so lately 



SAVAGES ENCOUNTERED. 91 

threatened their destruction, they began their desolate 
journey. They presently met a body of mountaineers 
hastening with frantic glee to the wreck. These sav- 
ages, not content with their shares of the rich booty in 
prospect, robbed our men of nearly all their clothing, and 
left them to pursue their toilsome way thus exposed to 
the unrelenting storm, and well nigh exhausted with hun- 
ger and fatigue. The wind blew so violently before them 
as greatly to impede their advancing; and the way was 
so diversified, as to prevent their taking a direct and 
level course, but requiring frequent deviation and con- 
stantly painful efforts. They ascended hills, where the 
mist, driven along by the gale, for the while completely 
blinded them; and descended valleys where the high, 
coarse grass, and accumulated water hindered their 
steps. Occasionally, they crossed rivulets much swollen 
by the rain, and rushing by them with fearful rapidity. 
Other parties also of natives were encountered, bound 
on the same errand with those previously met, the uncer- 
tainty of whose conduct was a source of painful solici- 
tude, for although one party should pass them without 
molestation, they knew not that another would be equally 
lenient. The violence of the hurricane was manifest from 
the many large trees completely prostrated, which they 
passed. Here and there, the ground was plentifully cov- 
ered with bread-fruit and cocoa-nuts: the latter afforded 
them a beverage very refreshing, and doubly grateful in 
their distress. 

After traversing about half the distance to Bonne Ra- 
rah, they met the wife of Santa Beeta, bearing in her 
hand his favorite war-club, the sign of his authority. 
They hurriedly informed her of the fate of the ship, and 
of her husband's desire, that they should find a shelter 
and protection at Bonne Rarah. She kindly seconded 



92 A SHIPMATE LEFT BEHIND. 

his humanity and good feeling, and hastened to the wreck. 
They continued their way to the town. 

Their progress was necessarily very slow; night was 
fast coming on, and the town had not appeared in sight. 
All were very weary, and the prospect of being obliged 
to pass the night without a covert from the storm was dis- 
mal and discouraging. The strength of Captain Archer, 
who bad very narrowly escaped being drowned in cross- 
ing a swollen stream, having stepped into it where the 
water happened to be over his head and been carried 
downward some rods by the force of the current, until 
his progress was stayed by a projecting embankment, was 
so nearly spent, that he requested his companions to go 
forward without him, as he was ready to lie down, and 
meet his fate alone; but their earnest entreaties persuad- 
ed him to struggle onward, as best he could, in the hope 
of soon reaching the village. P-^ 2 ^" one of the crew, 
who, beside the common distress, was troubled by an 
exceedingly painful ulcer upon his foot, which had con- 
fined him to the forecastle for several days before the 
loss of the ship, found himself wholly unable to proceed 
further, and, notwithstanding all entreaty, placed himself 
on the side of a rock least exposed to the wind, and, al- 
though thus slenderly protected against the tempest, in- 
sisted upon being left behind by his shipmates. Unwil- 
lingly acceding to his desire, the rest went on, and in the 
earlier part of the night arrived at the town, where they 
were gratified to see their companions of the shore-party, 
who were anxiously awaiting them. Without partaking 
of food, they sank down exhausted in the Boore, or 
Great Spirit's house, and soon forgot in grateful sleep 
their hunger, weariness and sad reflections on their un- 
certain fate. 

The intention of Captain Archer to send back the boat, 



NATIVES VISIT THE WRECK. 93 

in which he embarked for the shore, for the relief of our 
party, consisting of the second officer and eight of the 
crew, who remained on board the ship, was, of course, 
frustrated by the disaster which had happened to the 
boat. It was proposed by some one, that we should swim 
to land, about a third of a mile, but as all were not able 
to swim, this purpose was abandoned, and we determined 
to wait for some better plan to be devised. 

The waves, now and then, made a complete breach 
over the ship, and swept every moveable from the deck. 
We thus lost several fine hogs, whose bitter lamentation 
at being so suddenly and involuntarily driven overboard, 
excited the more compassion, from our utter inability to 
render the least aid in their time of need. 

Three quarters of an hour had not elapsed after the 
departure of the first boat, when scores of natives were 
observed swimming off to the wreck. Their skill in 
making way through such a heavy sea was extremely 
surprising. The smaller waves they were able to buffet 
with their muscular limbs, but when a heavy-comber 
threatened to sweep them irresistibly to the shore, they 
dexterously dived beneath it, as it came upon them, and 
so escaped its fury. Their hideous appearance excited 
reasonable fears of their conduct; but, no sooner had 
they come aboard, than Santa Beeta urged them to treat 
us with forbearance, as we intended no resistance. They 
heeded his request, and without molesting us, immedi- 
ately began to pillage the ship. I could not but think, 
that had this people been taught to "do to others as 
they would have others do to them," much of the valua- 
ble property thus wantonly plundered, would have been 
restored, eventually, to its lawful proprietor. 

At Santa Beeta 's desire, we brought up from the cabin 
muskets and other valuable articles, which we lashed to 



94 BOAT UPSET. — AN INTERRUPTION. 

spars, for easier conveyance ashore. Our situation was 
momentarily becoming more disagreeable; and so many 
savages were constantly pouring in upon us, that we had 
reason to apprehend that our lives might be taken, not- 
withstanding the kind interference of Santa Beeta in our 
behalf. After great difficulty, we succeeded in hauling 
alongside the "jolly-boat," which was swamped astern: 
and, after bailing her out, we prepared ourselves to leave 
the wreck. Santa Beeta permitted us to take with us 
what articles of clothing we most needed, and requested 
us to carry to Bonne Rarah some elegant fowling-pieces. 
We entered the boat an hour after noon. Mr. B. the 
second officer, was the last to leave the wreck. It was 
painful to our feelings to bid, as we thought, a last fare- 
well to the Glide, in which we had passed many laborious 
yet happy hours, leaving her in the possession of savages, 
who knew not the value of the greater part of the prop- 
erty, which they were plundering and destroying, and to 
direct our perilous course to the shore, not knowing what 
would befall us there. 

Our boat was also upset, as we drew near the shore, 
but, fortunately, where the water was not more than four 
feet deep. Each man saved with difficulty the musket 
entrusted to his care, yet a large part of our baggage 
was lost. Barefooted, tired, and dripping with sea-water, 
we began our journey to Bonne Rarah. As we were 
passing through a dense forest, our progress was inter- 
rupted by a party of ferocious mountaineers who lifted 
their muskets over our heads, in a threatening manner, 
each one saying substantially, " Sah-senga ne-legomai 
ne-antiki, ne-tapa sah-moke " — Give me your musket 
and clothes, or I will strike. We prudently surrendered 
without parley, depriving ourselves of almost all our 
clothing, and were then permitted to proceed. The 



A CANNIBAL FEAST. 'PERILS ENCOUNTERED. 95 

chief of this tribe, to whom, of course, the property taken 
by his subjects was surrendered, was obliged, afterwards, 
to pay dearly for thus holding the lawful spoils of Santa 
Beeta; for the warriors of the latter chieftain attacked 
the mountaineers, regained the muskets, and, killing 
their chief, brought his body to Bonne Rarah, where it 
was served up at a cannibal-feast, which was celebrated 
on this joyful occasion. The circumstance was kept 
secret from us at the time, as was said by Santa Beeta 
in relating it, from consideration of our feelings. 

After emerging from the woods, we saw, about fifty 
rods distant, a large number of savages armed with clubs 
and spears, hastening towards us with great apparent 
fury. Our ignorance of the fate of the captain and his 
companions, and the terrific aspect of the natives, occa- 
sioned some alarm; but our fears were happily quieted, 
when they came up to us, by finding that they belonged 
to Bonne Rarah, and were disposed to treat us with kind- 
ness. After a brief but friendly conference, the savages, 
at parting inquired, " Cybee ne waunka funua?" 
Where is the ship ? and receiving an answer, urged us 
to hasten our steps, " sah-lago," and seampered away, 
yelling, to the wreck. 

Parties of men and boys, not from Bonne Rarah alone, 
but also from villages more remote, we met, hurrying 
with their utmost speed to the wreck. I felt that I would 
gladly have remained on board, and joined in contesting 
inch by inch, our claim to the ship and property; but 
such feelings were wlfolly vain. 

We endured nearly the same perils and inconvenien- 
ces, in passing over this rugged country, and forcing our 
way through tangled thickets, which the first party en- 
dured. Our second officer and two of the crew beside 
myself, after travelling eight or nine miles, determined to 



96 GLOOMY PROSPECT. BONNE RARAH. 

stop for the night. We were fatigued, and, though hun- 
gry, felt too weak to go forward, with the hope of satis- 
fying our hunger; our feet also were much torn by sharp 
rocks, prickly pears and nettles. The prospect before 
us was gloomy indeed. Night was gathering about us, 
with almost impenetrable darkness, and the storm, though 
much abated, was yet howling through a neighboring 
forest. We were to lie in an open plain, upon the wet 
ground, pillowing our heads on rocks, sheltered from the 
chill and dampness by the scanty clothing only, which 
the savages permitted us to keep. Each of my compan- 
ions had an outside jacket, and I was myself confined to 
a thin under-garment and a pair of trowsers. In the 
course of the night I got up several times, and endeav- 
ored, by thrapping my arms, to excite some warmth; but 
my teeth chattered all the while, and a ceaseless shiver- 
ing pervaded my frame. We all suffered intensely, and 
enjoyed but little sleep. Now and then we heard, amid 
various sounds that filled the air, the busy tread of sav- 
ages, probably coming from the wreck with their ill-got- 
ten booty. 

Early in the morning, stiff as we were, sore, and urged 
by gnawing hunger, we resumed our journey. The 
greater part of the remaining distance was along the 
beach, where the shells and sharp rocks pierced our feet. 
Our strength was somewhat repaired, notwithstanding 
our troubled rest, and we limped forward painfully, yet 
with hope. 

On arriving at Bonne Rarah, we joined the party at 
the Boore, which had been set apart for our accommoda- 
tion. The spectacle presented to my view, as I looked 
about me, after we entered this building, was very pain- 
ful to my feelings. Officers and crew, who, a short time 
previously, were connected with a noble ship, and greatly 



SYMPATHY FOR THE SHIPWRECKED CAPTAIN. §? 

cheered by the near prospect of bidding farewell to the 
Islands, were now sitting together on the matting-floor, 
dejected and weary, with torn garments, pale and down- 
cast faces, and dependent for mere subsistence on the 
uncertain benevolence of savages. Especially was I 
embarrassed to see him, whose orders I had faithfully 
endeavored to obey, who had exerted his utmost skill to 
save the ship, now reduced to the same hard lot with his 
men. 

No man, in the case of a shipwreck, deserves more 
sympathy than the captain. The change is greater to 
him from the conveniences of the cabin to the hardships 
subsequent to a total wreck. Not even his official dig- 
nity keeps him company in his distresses. So long as he 
is master of the ship, he can, with comparative ease, 
maintain firmness and courage, however severe the 
voyage may be; but his steadiness of mind is apt to falter 
with the loss of command. To the honor of Captain 
Archer, he behaved like a man throughout our hard re- 
verses, and forgot the officer in the fellow sufferer. 

If the blessings of civilization and Christianity had 
been here enjoyed, we should have felt more assured of 
being treated with kindness by those about us. Those 
devoted men, who put their lives in peril, that they may 
dispel the moral gloom of paganism, are worthy of high 
esteem for their self-denial, even if the welfare of the ship- 
wrecked sailor be alone considered. 

Much anxiety was expressed concerning our shipmate, 
young Pastas* w ho had left the ship in the first party. 
At length he made his appearance in the village. It 
seemed that he had remained during the whole night in 
the spot he had chosen. Our party taking probably a 
somewhat different course from his, had not seen him. 
The next morning, an old native woman passing that way 
9 



98 ADVENTURES OF WILLIAM CARET. 

saw him, and compassionately lent her aid in conducting 
him to the town. They walked on together with difficul- 
ty, the ulcer in his foot, from the sand and sea-water, 
being a source of exquisite torture. 

Among those who left the ship in the same party with 
myself, was a young man who communicated to me some 
interesting particulars of his life. His name was William 
Carey. He had sailed, some years before, from Nan- 
tucket, in the whale-ship Oeno, which was wrecked near 
Turtle Island, one of the Fijiis. The officers and crew 
escaped from the wreck, but Carey, noticing a disturb- 
ance between his shipmates and the natives, concealed 
himself, fearing for the issue. He remained in safe se- 
clusion two or three days, not venturing to go out lest he 
should suffer what he supposed to be, and which was, the 
fate of his companions. Hunger, at last, compelled him 
to do what prudence forbade, and he stealthily crept from 
his concealment in search of food. He was seen by a 
native. Conscious of being discovered, he seated him- 
self on a rock, and bending forward with his back towards 
the savage, awaited the worst, in powerless despair. The 
native approached him, bade him rise, and conducted 
him to the Boore of his tribe. 

The natives soon gathered in great numbers, and an 
animated conference was held, respecting, as he was sub- 
sequently told, the disposition to be made of him. The 
majority being in favor of sparing his life, he was taken 
by the chief into his family, and ever afterwards was well 
provided for and kindly treated. 

Several years after the loss of the Oeno, the ship Clay, 
Captain Vanderford, of Salem, arrived at the same isl- 
and. Mr. Carey's acquaintance with the language and 
customs of the natives enabled him to render important 
services in the way of trade. After the departure of the 



VISIT THE WRECK. 99 

Clay from the islands, Mr. Carey shipped on board the 
brig Quill, Capt. Kinsman, of Salem. With this vessel 
he remained until her cargo was completed, when he was 
induced (as before stated) to take a berth in the Glide. 
He sailed with us to Manilla. Having procured by his 
services for these three vessels a considerable sum of 
money, he was desirous of returning home to his friends. 
Accordingly, he made arrangements to embark in a ves- 
sel which was expected soon to sail for the United States, 
and even conveyed his baggage aboard. For reasons 
unknown to me, Mr. Carey gave up his purpose, and re- 
turned to the Glide, on the day previous to her departure. 
Thus was he twice wrecked at the Fijiis, and twice sub- 
jected to a residence among the savages, without, mean- 
while, visiting home. As a linguist, assistant trading- 
master, and companion, he was much esteemed by offi- 
cers and crew. 



CHAPTER X. 

Visit the wreck and return — A Council of Natives — The Priest — Kindness 
of the King — The Boore — The Captain sails for Bou — Commence house- 
keeping — Intercourse with the Natives — The Mountaineers — Books — A 
Play — Ways of passing time. 

In the course of two or three days after the wreck, the 
storm abating, and the weather becoming calm and pleas- 
ant as usual, the king permitted a part of the crew, with 
several natives, to go off to the ship to get the salt pro- 
\isions and bread. Some of us went in our only boat, 
others in one of the large double canoes kindly offered 
for our use. On our way down to the shore, we met na- 
tives returning, laden with plunder. We feared causing 



100 THE WRECK STRIPPED. LETTERS. 

affront by asking fop clothes and other private property 
that we saw in their hands. 

On reaching the ship we were well received by Santa 
Beeta, who was in high spirits, walking the deck, having 
on a checked shirt, and brandishing his war-club. When 
informed of our purpose, he ordered the savages aboard 
to render us all needful help, and was implicitly obeyed. 
His presence, doubtless, prevented our being injured by 
the other natives in their rapacious frenzy; for he was 
greatly feared, and already, we were told, had slain one 
native for meddling with some goods that he had reserved 
for himself. 

The savages, fifty or sixty in number, were ransacking 
the ship in every part, stripping the rigging from the 
spars, unhinging the cabin-doors, hacking timber to ex- 
tract nails and spikes, or pieces of iron, lead or copper, 
beating in barrels and hogsheads, dragging up our chests 
from the forecastle, jabbering all the while like monkies, 
yet working with the steady gravity of old caulkers. 
Above every thing else, they prized arms and ammunition, 
which they used special efforts to get and carefully keep. 
The sight was painful, yet their eagerness to outdo each 
other in securing booty was amusing. 

In my chest was a small package of letters valuable to 
me alone, which I was now, in my misfortunes, especially 
desirous to keep. As I went towards the chest to get 
them, I was repulsed by a savage, who raised his club 
over my head, and bade me begone, or he would slay 
me, " Sah-lago, sah-senga, ne-lago sah-moke." I de- 
sisted from my pursose, but not without politely assuring 
the plunderer, that the chest and its contents were mine, 
not his, " Sah-quow, sah-senga, ne-quego." In a few 
minutes I saw my chest, with every token of home in it 
that I had, tumbled over the ship's side, and conveyed, I 






AMUSING INCIDEiNT. 101 

knew not whither. This, thought I, is the " unkindest 
cut of all." 

In the cabin, where multifarious substances, as paints, 
oil and flour, from the steward's apartment, were con- 
fusedly mingled together, some of the savages were 
creeping about, covered with the vile compound, spying 
out wonders, and laying hands on whatever they judged 
to be worth taking. 

Our beche-de-la-mer about half filled the hold, and, by 
the bilging of the ship, became a putrid mass. At the 
foot of the mainmast was a barrel of cast iron axes, whose 
position the natives had somehow learned. Their desire 
of this tempting prize overcame their unwillingness to 
use the only means of securing it ; and down they dived 
into the loathsome mass, at the risk of suffocation, often 
plunging in vain several times, and eagerly seizing an 
axe or two, six or eight feet deep, leaped back upon 
deck, covered with slime, and swimming ashore, left them 
in charge of persons waiting for the purpose. They then 
hurried again on board, to repeat the same zealous per- 
formance. 

One native, in diving, came in contact with some mor- 
tar, formed by a cask of lime that was broken by the 
motion of the ship, and slacked by the water. Grasping 
a handful, he returned dripping with beche-de-la-mer to 
the deck, and inquired what the strange substance was. 
" The white man's bread," jocosely answered one of the 
crew. The native took a large mouthful, that well nigh 
strangled him, and presently, with many wry faces and 
ludicrous motions, spat it out again amidst great laugh- 
ter, in which Santa Beeta heartily joined. Such experi- 
ments on the good nature of savages, are, however, 
somewhat dangerous. 

The shore was occupied by women and children, who 
9* 



102 PROVISION. NATIVE FORTIFICATION. 

received and secured what the men were constantly 
bringing from the ship. Cloth, of which we had several 
bales, wearing apparel and pieces of sails, were spread 
out to be dried on trees and bushes, and, together with 
various other property scattered about, gave to the shore 
an aspect of business. 

We succeeded in finding unspoiled, seven or eight bar- 
rels of beef and pork, and two or three hogsheads of 
bread, which we carried to Bonne Rarah, and deposited 
in one of our buildings. 

At the king's request, several of the ship's cannon were 
brought to the village, and conspicuously placed, facing 
the harbor. This was the only instance, to my know- 
ledge, of anything like a fortification being planned by 
the natives ; nor were the cannon suffered long to remain 
there, but were conveyed to the beche-de-la-mer build- 
ings. 

Both the king and Santa Beeta were deemed mighty 
men by neighboring chiefs and warriors, but were now 
regarded with unwonted awe for having such an amount 
of muskets and ammunition, and for the supposed instruc- 
tion in the art of defence to be derived from a whole 
ship's company. Mountaineers and others visiting Bonne 
Rarah, we observed, paid unusual respect to these chief- 
tains, who, on their part, were proud of showing their 
treasures, and remarking upon their wealth and power. 

Soon after the completed plundering of the ship, a 
council respecting us was held in the Boore by the king, 
priests and warriors. The conduct of Santa Beeta during 
and after the night of the wreck, plainly showed his good 
will towards us; and, beside other marks, a brief decla- 
ration of the king's manifested his kindness of purpose. 
It was told me, that on the arrival of the first boat's com- 
pany at Bonne Rarah, the captain was thus questioned 



KINDNESS OF THE KING. 103 

by the king. " Should Fijiians be cast ashore among 
your people, how would you treat them?" "Kindly," 
was the reply. "Then," rejoined the king, "I will 
treat you kindly; go with your men to the Boore, and I 
will protect you." Nevertheless, how the consultation 
would end, was a source of misgiving, for the opinions 
expressed were various. The king and Santa Beeta 
urged, that our services would be very valuable in show- 
ing the use of muskets and in repairing them, in making 
bullets, &c, not, probably, meaning that this was the 
highest motive for sparing us, but thinking that it would 
avail most in that assembly. One chief thought that we 
should eat too much, and hence, prudentially suggested 
our being at once despatched. The high priest (Num- 
betta) arose to give his judgment, which was awaited 
with great interest. This man was very black, of mon- 
strous size, and very repulsive in aspect, looking as 
though he could be a terror to good or evil-doers, as best 
suited his instant purpose. He recommended to make 
hogs of us, alluding to the practice of killing these ani- 
mals by blows on the head, cooking and eating them. 
This advice was consistent with the well known charac- 
ter of this priest. It was said, that, on the morning 
before the wreck of the ship, Numbetta stood outside of 
his hut, yelling and shaking hideously. Indeed, the na- 
tives frequently declared, that their priest shook the vessel 
ashore. It is surprising that such a man should be al- 
lowed by so good a king, to be the spiritual head of his 
people : it is not unlikely, however, that the will of the 
priest to occupy this post, was stronger than the king's 
power to displace him. 

After much discussion, the better counsels of the king 
and Santa Beeta prevailed. This grateful decision was 
soon made known to us all, to some of our number by 



104 KINGLY PRESENTS. 

tc kysees,"or natives of the lower caste, running and 
embracing us, crying out " Samboola boola papalangi," — 
the white men will not be injured. 

Soon after the breaking up of the council, the king, 
doubtless, as a re-assurance of his favor, returned to us 
a few articles of ours, which he had, showing, by his way 
of distribution, either his supreme contempt for marine 
rank, or his great error in valuation; for, whilst, to the 
crew generally he gave garments or other things very 
needful and acceptable, upon Captain Archer he be- 
stowed with the utmost dignity and condescension, a worn- 
out chart, and a useless fragment of an old flannel shirt. 
Due thankfulness was, of course, expressed by the cap- 
tain for these tokens of royal beneficence ; for the favors 
of a despot, who held our lives in his keeping, were not 
to be received with manifest displeasnre. 

The interest of the king in our welfare constantly ap- 
peared during our three months' residence at Bonne 
Rarah. Almost daily he looked in upon us, to ascertain 
our wants, and kept in his house, apparently for our sole 
use, quantities of tea, coffee and tobacco, which he dis- 
tributed to us as need required. A portion of food was 
invariably set aside for us, whenever he prepared a feast. 
If in our walks about the village we met him, the salu- 
tations " sah-andra, touronga-lib," w elcome king, " sah- 
andra, papalangi," welcome white man," were amicably 
interchanged. There was withal about him a dignity, 
that well comported with his kingly character, and showed 
that any violations of loyalty on the part of the natives, 
or of due respect on ours, would not be unrebuked. With 
extreme gratification I learned, after returning home, 
that Capt. Archer had since visited Bonne Rarah, in the 
barque Pallas, and bestowed upon his Majesty a rich 
scarlet cloak, a token of gratitude from the worthy and 



THE EOORE. THE CAPTAIN'S DEPARTURE. 105 

venerable owner of the Glide for the protection afforded 
us in our disasters. The savages generally, like their 
king, were heartily disposed, according to their power, 
to relieve our distresses, and make us comfortable. 

The Boore, in which we all lived until Santa Beeta 
prepared a house near his to accommodate a portion of 
our number, who removed to it as soon as it was com- 
pleted, was situated a few rods from the compact village, 
and was nearly four times as large as the ordinary dwel- 
lings of the natives. Its foundation was of rough stone, 
about two feet high, the interstices being filled up with 
earth and leaves, over which were placed layers of mats, 
making the floor. The frame was of conical form, con- 
structed of poles, three inches thick and two feet apart, 
one end being secured to the foundation, and the other 
to the top of the building. Closely placed across these 
poles were narrow strips of bamboo. The building was 
thatched with leaves, and had three doors. 

On the 28th of March, Capt. Archer, Mr. Carey, and 
two or three of our men, sailed in our boat, by the king's 
consent, to the island of Bou, the capital of the Fijiis. 
This, our first separation, though on many accounts pain- 
ful, was prudently planned, as a vessel was rumored to 
be in the vicinity of Bou. We shared with the party 
what we could spare for their comfort; and they, after 
exchanging with us farewells and cheers of mutual en- 
couragement, started on their perilous adventure of sail- 
ing two hundred miles in a small boat, exposed to many 
dangers, and, not the least, attacks from savages. 

After the captain's departure, we began house-keeping 
in earnest, regarding alike frugality and comfort, aware 
of the uncertainty of our stay, yet not too anxious about 
future sustenance. The provisions saved from the wreck, 
the presents above mentioned from the king, and yams, 



106 INTERCOURSE WITH THE NATIVES. 

plantains and fresh pork given to us by the natives, fur- 
nished no mean stock of food, which also, from our am- 
bition, in turn, to excel each other in culinary tact, was 
not indifferently prepared. Two large iron pots or ket- 
tles were arranged outside the Boore for cooking food in 
pleasant weather; at other times, this work was done 
within. Whenever, also, any of us visited the abodes of 
native families, we were ever hospitably received, and 
on their observing the little bags of salt which we gen- 
erally carried with us, (as they do not use it,) to season 
our food, we heard the exclamation " he has got his salt, 
and wants something to eat," and forthwith was cheer- 
fully set before us their best and most acceptable provi- 
sion. 

The singular use made of our clothing by tne natives 
was often irresistibly ludicrous. They contrived every 
way to show off to the best advantage their many prizes. 
Some wore our jackets buttoned down behind; others 
had on our trowsers the wrong side before; one little 
fellow strutted along, as best he could, in a ruffled shirt, 
that belonged to one of the officers, the ruffles flaring on 
his back. Their droll expressions also in handling arti- 
cles, whose use they knew not, excited mirth, notwith- 
standing the unpleasant feelings occasioned by seeing 
misused or wantonly destroyed, many things intrinsically 
valuable, or reminding us of home and friends. The 
dwellings also were adorned with property from the wreck. 
The cabin-doors and the ship's bulwarks were affixed to 
the outside of some of them. Suspended from the frame- 
work, inside, were pistols, cutlasses, muskets, garments, 
and other property. Of course, we dared not remonstrate 
against being deprived of much that would have been 
serviceable to us; although as far as prudence directed, 
and propriety permitted, we conformed to the usages of 



PERILOUS SITUATION. 107 

the society in which we found ourselves, and thus were 
not too solicitous about what, in other circumstances, we 
should have required. And, perhaps, also, it would have 
shown ingratitude in us, placed as we were, and so much 
better treated than we could have expected to be, to in- 
sist strenuously on the distinctions mine and thine. There 
was one expedient, however, which we scrupled not to 
use in some cases. When a native requested any one 
ofustomend a musket, or prepare some ammunition, 
time enough was spent about the work to justify asking 
by way of remuneration for the service, a garment, or 
anything else that was much needed, and happened to be 
descried in the employer's house. For instance, if a lit- 
tle rust had gathered about the lock of the musket that 
was put into our hands to be repaired, the piece was 
taken apart and oiled, hammers, files and screw-drivers 
were in great request and use, somewhat, indeed, for the 
advantage of the musket, but much more to further our 
prudential scheme. This use of fire-arms seemed to be 
as peaceable a mode as could be devised, of recovering 
our property, and, as such, to be perfectly justifiable. 

Amongst the booty from the ship were many casks of 
powder, of whose explosive nature the natives had little 
knowledge; and of its extreme danger, when accumulated 
in large quantities, little conception. In one dwelling 
which we visited were a number of kegs of powder pro- 
miscuously placed upon the floor, in the centre of "which 
a fire was kindled. The family were cooking their usual 
food; loose powder was scattered about; and the propri- 
etor himself, dressed in a sailor's jacket, and with a 
Scotch cap on his head, sat on a keg of powder before 
the fire, composedly smoking his pipe. We were some- 
what amazed at the sight, and, if in the course of the in- 
terview, we felt some trepidation, it could not be called 



108 CIVILITIES TO ROYALTY. 

wholly groundless. Indeed, it may be doubted whether 
Damocles himself, (whose famous sword has become 
much blunted by its frequent use in illustration) had more 
cause to be ill at ease, at his feast, knowing that a drawn 
sword was suspended over his head by a single horse- 
hair, than we had, while paying to our native friend the 
civilities of the season, in the presence of fire and gun- 
powder. Our visit was not long protracted, and we took 
leave before the viands in preparation were ready to be 
eaten. No accident resulted from this strange manner 
of storing powder, fortunately for us, since had an explo- 
sion occurred, it would have been attributed to our in- 
fluence, and we should have suffered for the supposed 
offence. 

Occasionally we prepared in the Boore some pro- 
vision which we deemed good enough for the king, 
and invited him to partake of it with us. Whenever he 
was graciously pleased to accept our humble invitation, 
he brought with him a chair, plate, knife and fork, (which 
he had obtained from the ship,) and, after seating him- 
self with becoming dignity, and being first served with 
the choicest portions of food, he began plying his knife 
and fork so busily, that we sometimes wished that His 
Majesty would more regard conventional ceremony, since, 
before all of us had had our first supply, he needed a 
second, which emptied the kettle. Of course, whatever 
inconveniences were attendant on being in the presence 
of royalty we patiently bore, and questioned not the 
king's rightful prerogative to eat as much as he liked. 
The king's use of eating utensils, though it generally 
enabled him to consume soon enough what was set before 
him, was not skilful, at best; and sometimes was very 
awkward, as when he grasped the knife in his left hand, 
and held the sharp edge towards him, at such an angle, 



AN ALARM. 109 

that, as often as one piece of food entered his mouth, two 
fell back upon his plate. He also used his fork as a 
tooth-pick, thus confirming the notion held by some, that 
this practice consists better with the manners of savage 
than of civilized life. 

The savages of Bonne Rarah were a powerful tribe, 
and frequently were required to exert their prowess 
against neighboring mountaineers, who came down into 
the village, at night, for purposes of plunder. One night, 
assembled in the Boore, we heard a loud outcry in the 
village, and instantly aroused ourselves, conjecturing 
that an attack upon us might be contemplated by the na- 
tives. No defensive weapons were at hand; the night 
was very dark and stormy ; and fears lest at each way of 
egress armed savages would cut off our escape, deter- 
mined us to stay in the building. The rustling of leaves 
around the Boore naturally appeared to our excited fancy 
to be the stealthy tread of approaching savages. From 
our suspense we were soon relieved by a native, who 
came into the Boore, and told us that some mountaineers 
had been discovered advancing towards the village ; that 
they had been repulsed, and that there was no longer 
cause of apprehension. We not only rejoiced to learn 
that no danger was near, but also to find that there was 
no reason to doubt the good faith of the villagers. 

Preparations for our comfort and support served almost 
exclusively to occupy our minds for a while after the 
wreck, yet, notwithstanding that long trading with these 
islanders had given us that knowledge of their manners 
and language, which made our situation less irksome 
than otherwise it would have been, — when our arrange- 
ments were completed, and we had more time to reflect 
on the chances of leaving the islands, melancholy thoughts 
10 



110 VALUE OP BOOKS. 

and fears gained the ascendency, and the hours became 
dull and wearisome through our long inaction. 

The few books that we had on ship-board, were now 
scattered about among the natives, who found them use- 
ful for cartrages, and were generally unwilling to part 
with them. But, by importunate begging, and now and 
then receiving a book in pay for work, we recovered 
several, the chief of which were one number of an old 
English magazine, an odd volume of Shakspeare, and 
one of Pope. This last was a copy of the "Essay on 
Man," which a savage, whom I met in the village having 
it in his hand, gave me with unexpected readiness, on 
my making bold to ask for it. These books were repeat- 
edly read, and interested our minds. Sometimes one of 
us read aloud for the general amusement, and was lis- 
tened to with patience and pleasure by many, who m 
other circumstances, would not have paid the least atten- 
tion. The " Essay " was of especial service to those 
who cared to exercise themselves in parsing, which we 
made a truly serious business. Not having at hand any 
infallible standard, the right of private judgment was by 
common consent readily granted and used; and all 
doubtful cases, which, from some cause or other, were 
not few, were determined by appeals to the majority of 
votes. Thus, many of the most disputed points in gram- 
mar were easily and quickly settled. Perhaps, also, 
some innovations were made, that would have startled 
the old grammarians, but of course, a few questionable 
decisions were of less account than a strict adherence to 
democratic usage. What these innovations were I will 
not pretend to say, as they would more appropriately find 
place in a more scientific work than this, and as, being 
rather conservative in my notions on many points pro- 
posed, I know not to how many I could lay lawful claim. 



A DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT. Ill 

I may say, however, that the question whether two neg- 
atives make an affirmative, was decided, if my memory 
serves me, in the negative. This vote may be under- 
stood not as deciding the abstract point, but as legalizing 
precedent practice. Though in the minority on this sub- 
ject, I yielded, like a good citizen, to the prevailing 
voice. Had we had a " Grammar," we should have re- 
ceived its authority with respect, but, having none, we 
were not restrained from making whatever changes we 
pleased. It may be, that had we owned the best " Gram- 
mar " ever written, no regard for it would seriously have 
obstructed the addition of very many new rules to the 
science, if the will of the majority had been so inclined. 
In such a case Lowth and Murray must ingloriously have 
been defeated, for " where there's a will, there's a way " 
to exceed high and determinate authority. How various 
soever opinions may be held of the poetical and philoso- 
phical merits of the " Essay on Man," there can be no 
just doubt of its worth as a manual for parsing. 

Our odd volume of Shakspeare, beside being read with 
pleasure, also moved us to get up a dramatic entertain- 
ment, the subject of which was the voyage. The play 
began with the acting-captain, engaged in shipping a 
crew for the Glide, at a sailor's boarding house, and 
holding out all those attractions with which a voyage is 
usually set off by this class of men, whose eloquence is 
hardly less fascinating than were the " persuasive words " 
of the "wily adder." Successively contrasted with this 
scene were the various mishaps that had attended our 
voyage. The brief authority of the officers was becom- 
ingly worn a while by common seamen. Many expres- 
sions, often heard and well-remembered, were slily 
brought out, amidst the uncontrollable laughter of the 
actors themselves. The king and a number of natives, 



112 A DRAMATIC ENTERTAINMENT. 

seated conspicuously before us on mats, paid wondering 
attention, being at a loss to understand all our sayings 
and doings, until, in the course of the play, our arrival 
at the Fijiis was brought forward, and the trafficking and 
haggling were mimicked by an officer, playing the part 
of a Fijiian, and a common sailor that of the trading mas- 
ter, when our drift was more exactly comprehended, and 
the progress of the action more eagerly watched. And, 
when the baffling of the natives' occasional efforts to 
cheat us was set forth, the mirror thus being too truth- 
fully held up to nature to be longer mistrusted, the sense 
of the whole matter flashed upon our audience, like the 
meaning of the differential calculus on the mind of a stu- 
dent, long perplexed in trying to grasp it, and the Boore 
resounded with the spontaneous uproar of savage delight. 
Through the remainder of the play, involving the wreck 
and our hospitable reception by the king, to whom and 
his people many compliments were paid, we were followed 
with intensest interest, and were gratified, at the close, 
by unequivocal expressions of royal satisfaction. 

A polite assembly among us is sometimes required to 
sympathize with a favorite drama, undergoing martyrdom 
from amateur players; but, however inferior our histri- 
onic skill may have been, we displayed it solely before a 
barbarous king and people, who were indifferent critics, 
and whom it was good policy to gratify by affording the 
knowledge, unusual in their part of the world, of what it 
means to see a play. Though it was not our aim " to 
catch the conscience of the king," our making merry with 
a few foibles of himself and subjects must have been com- 
pensated by the ready exhibition of our whimsies and 
follies. In short, our play, if neither witty in itself nor 
the cause of wit in the hearers, resembled that famous 
piece, once performed in ducal presence by Snug the 



SABBATH EMPLOYMENT. 113 

joiner and others, in being very laughable and incitive to 
laughter. 

Beside these diversions, we sometimes accompanied 
the natives in visits to neighboring tribes. When at a 
loss for other means of amusement, we gathered shells 
and eye-stones on the beach, and bathed in the sea. The 
hills near by we frequently climbed, and eagerly scanned 
the horizon for some object which hope might regard as 
a friendly sail. On those retired heights, hearing the 
subdued murmur only of the beating breakers, in com- 
munion with self and Him, whose providence had thus 
far preserved our lives, bright visions of home and friends 
passed rapidly before our minds, and were succeeded by 
many a shadowy doubt whether home or friends we 
should ever again behold. 

On Sundays, assembled in the Boore we sung what 
sacred hymns we knew; and the exercise excited many 
pleasant memories. The singing of Bishop Heber's 
Missionary Hymn seemed to have a peculiar interest, 
both from the nature of the piece, and from our having 
often heard it sung without a thought of ever dwelling, 
ourselves, upon a solitary heathen shore. Sometimes, 
the natives, attracted by the unusual sounds, gathered 
about the doors, imagining, perhaps, that we were chant- 
ing war-songs. 



114 EXCURSION WITH A CHIEF. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Amusements of the Natives — Excursion to the interior of the Island — Re- 
ception by the Natives — Return — General account of a Fijiian Festi- 
val, attended by the crew — Burning of the Ship — Intelligence of the loss 
of the brig Niagara — Others of the crew leave for Bou. 

The Fijiians, if hungry, have little more to do than to 
stretch forth their hands and pluck delicious fruit; if 
thirsty, streams of pure water run near by, or they may 
easily procure the rich beverage of the cocoa-nut. 
Hence they spend much time in amusement, and espe- 
cially in swimming, in which exercise they manifest plea- 
sure and adroitness. Almost daily I saw scores of them 
bathing. However afraid they may sometimes become 
from other causes, they trust without fear their aquatic 
skill. On the night of the wreck, when the Glide was 
fast dragging her anchors towards the reef, and darkness 
shrouded ship and sea, the storm being at its height, a 
native, fearful of being on board at such a time, and ap- 
parently preferring to encounter familiar perils, than 
others to him seeming mysterious, plunged into the foam- 
ing waves, and swam half a mile to the shore. 

One day, I was invited by a chief, whom I had fre- 
quently visited, to accompany him on an excursion to the 
interior of the island. My curiosity and trust in the good 
faith of my friend prevailed over the efforts of my com- 
panions, who feared for my safety, to dissuade me from 
going : and, having provided ourselves with suitable 
means of defence for what emergency might occur, we 
passed through a defile of the mountains, and then struck 
into a well-beaten path leading through a rather uneven 
region. The beautiful diversity of prospect from the 
higher portions of our course, the mild air of the delight- 



RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES. 115 

ful day, birds of brilliant plumage singing in the trees 
about us, the ripe and grateful fruit easily procured, 
patches of sugar-cane here and there pleasant to see and 
taste, agreeable conversation, and the kind civilities of 
natives whom we met, made our walk the source of in- 
tense and various enjoyment. 

At sunset, we reached our journey's end, a small vil- 
lage of about thirty rudely constructed huts, and were 
heartily welcomed by the chief of the tribe, who conduct- 
ed us to his house, and soon set before us a repast of 
baked pig, fruit and vegetables. In the evening, about 
twenty natives, invited by our host, assembled, among 
whom were several that I had seen on board the ship, 
and who recognized me with apparent delight. A gen- 
eral conversation, relating, beside many other topics, to 
the lost ship, the white men and their country, was held, 
throughout which, it was gratifying to observe, mutual 
kindness and courtesy prevailed. The social party was 
highly interesting, occasionally enlivened with good-hu- 
mored mirth; and when it broke up at midnight, we went 
to sleep with pleasant thoughts. 

In the morning we visited the Boore, which was simi- 
larly constructed, though in every respect inferior, to that 
at Bonne Rarah. In the centre of the apartment, where 
were held the religious ceremonies, which were about to 
commence when we reached the building, was a very 
large bowl of angona or ava root, of which, after being 
properly prepared, all the natives assembled repeatedly 
partook, the intervals between the potations being occu- 
pied by the priest pronouncing certain forms of speech, 
to which the audience who were seated around the apart- 
ment, now and then responded. Near the door were ar- 
ranged in open sight, several small, round blocks of 
wood, singularly ornamented with sennit and carved 



116 A FESTIVAL. 

work, to which the natives, as they came in and retired, 
made low obeisance. As usual, no females were present. 
After the conclusion of the service, which held an hour, 
we rambled about the village, being kindly welcomed 
wherever we called; and, at length, returned to the house 
of the hospitable chief, whence, having partaken of ano- 
ther ample feast, and thanked our host for his kind atten- 
tion, we departed for Bonne Rarah. My excursion sur- 
prised both me and my shipmates, to whom I gave an 
account of it, for much we had previously heard said of 
the ferocity of the inland savages. 

In the latter part of April, a festival, which we were 
kindly invited to attend, was held at a village about forty 
miles from Bonne Rarah. As the place, though on the 
island of Tacanova, was easiest of access by sailing, my 
shipmates, it was determined, should accompany the king 
in his double canoe; and I went with the chief with 
whom I made the inland excursion, in his single canoe, 
sooner than the rest, at an early hour after noon on the 
day before that of the feast. My patron I found to be 
very loquacious, for, instead of our holding a pleasant 
conversation together, he took upon himself to give me a 
lecture of what was to be expected at the coming festival, 
diversifying his discourse with "so/i&," grand feast, 
" leebo, leebo," great, great, " benacka, benacka," good, 
good, " mungety-leelo," plenty of provisions, " pookah," 
pigs, " ouvie," yams, " aooto," bread-fruit, " boondy," 
plaintains, all which expressions, of course, deeply im- 
pressed my imagination. Now and then he asked, 
whether I comprehended what he said. Whatever was 
my response, he was none the less talkative, for when 
he questioned me, " sah* gala guego," do you under- 

* " Sah " is a prominent word in the Fijii language, to which it seems to 
be peculiar, as I never heard it used by other islanders in the Pacific. It 






A FESTIVAL. 117 

stand? if I answered " sah-senga" no, he labored long 
and hard to make his meaning clear to my mind; and, if 
my reply was "sah gala quow" I do understand, he 
took courage from the honest confession, and at once 
proceeded to give me more information. 

Soon after sunset, having landed at a small island mid- 
way between Bonne Rarah and the place to which we 
were bound, we were well received by the natives, who 
conducted us to their Boore, near the top of a high hill, 
and presently furnished us with a generous repast. Here, 
in less than an hour, the report of our arrival drew to- 
gether many savages, from whose evident astonishment, 
as they gazed upon me, I conjectured that most of them 
had never seen a white man. Though we were kindly 
invited to spend the night here, yet the curiosity of the 
natives made them reluctant to retire from the Boore, 
and leave us to sleep. Of course*, distinguished stran- 
gers must always receive without complaint the benevo- 
lent persecution to which they are everywhere subjected, 
and, accordingly, we patiently waited until, at a late 
hour, the hospitable party went away, when we lay down 
to rest. Our singular situation, exposure to attacks from 
savages, over whom kindness and ferocity hold rule by 
turns, and a consciousness of our almost complete help- 
lessness in such a case, occasioned in me unquiet feel- 
ings, which, in truth, were not allayed by my dear friend, 
the Cannibal-chief, who frequently started up from his 
mat in great excitement, and paced rapidly to and fro, 

is usually prefixed to questions, answers, commands, and words expressing 
quality ; for instance, beside the words used in the text, sah-lago, begone, 
sah-lagomai, come, sah-benacka, good, sah-thah, bad, sat, (contracted, 
probably, from sah-ai,) yes. Sometimes, however, it is dropped in com- 
mon conversation, as (sah) benacka, (sah) lagomai, (sah) lago. So that it 
seems to have little meaning of its own, yet it sounds agreeably, when 
spoken by a native. 



118 A FESTIVAL. 

with his war-club at his side. The chief, at length, ex- 
plained his singular conduct by telling me that the sav- 
ages designed to detain me on their island, and that he 
had been anxiously devising some way to defeat their 
purpose. At his suggestion, early in the morning, before 
the natives were stirring, we silently left the Boore. I 
placed myself on the chief's broad shoulders, and held 
in one hand his war-club, and in the other his canoe- 
paddle. Thus we stole softly down the steep hill, and 
when we came to the beach, to our amazement, our 
canoe was nowhere to be seen. The chief, in the height 
of his vexation, brandished his club towards the Boore, 
and poured forth a torrent of imprecation. Fearful that 
his wild anger would soon arouse the natives, I looked 
about for the canoe, and after careful search, found it 
secreted in a thicket near the shore. We dragged it 
with difficulty to the water, hoisted our three-cornered 
sail, and unmolested sailed away from the island. 

The sun had just risen, when we reached the landing- 
place, about a mile from the spot chosen for the festival. 
We were among the first comers. On the glittering 
waves at some distance, we saw hundreds of canoes, 
some boldly advancing on the open sea, others more wary 
keeping nearer to the shore, and others now and then 
emerging into sight from behind points of land and small 
islands, all bound, with their shouting crews, for the gen- 
eral feast. They soon drew nearer, and companies of 
natives from neighboring islands and remote villages of 
Tacanova, landed, in quick succession, at the beach, 
and made the hills echo with their loud rejoicing. 

The plain selected for the feast was of many acres, 
covered with liveliest verdure, surrounded by groves, in 
which were many fruit-trees, and through it coursed 
brooks of pure water from adjacent highlands. In its 



A FESTIVAL. 119 

centre was a pyramid, apparently eight feet square at 
the base, and tapering fifteen feet to a point, of yams; 
and near it was a smaller one, of angona root. Hanging 
from gnarled branches of ironwood trees, in another part 
of the field, were large quantities of plantains, cocoa- 
nuts and bread-fruit. At one end were several pens, 
filled with swine, of which, there were, at least, a hun- 
dred. While the men, profusely annointed with cocoa- 
nut oil, decorated with garlands of beads and flowers, 
having on their heads very large white turbans, and 
around their waists elegant maros, were proudly strutting 
about the plain, displaying their fashionable attire, the 
women were meekly and laboriously cooking food. 

After the completed preparation, the different tribes of 
the numerous assemblage arranged themselves on the 
grass in semicircles, about ten paces in front of which 
were seated their respective king, chiefs and priests, and 
between these dignitaries and the people was placed their 
appointed provision. The tribes all first drank angona^ 
and then, four or five natives, who attended each tribe 
as waiters, began dividing the food, and another taking 
on a plaintain-leaf a parcel of it, advanced to the master 
of the feast for the division, and asked "quotha," for 
whom? when, the name of some one being spoken aloud, 
the person thus designated clapped his hands to make 
known his position, and, being at once supplied with his 
portion, began eating it with strips of bamboo, sharpened 
on one edge, and pointed. This ceremony was repeated 
until all received their shares, reference being made to 
rank in the order of distribution. 

In the afternoon, two or three hundred young females, 
wearing girdles of variegated grass and leaves, and 
necklaces of colored beads and flowers, danced with live- 
liness and modest mien across the plain, loudly singing 



120 A FESTIVAL. 

and waving beautiful fans over their heads with easy uni- 
formity and grace; and then, adroitly wheeling about, 
retraced their way, with fans flourishing in the air, 
echoing song and sprightly dance. 

Next came forward a party of men, with hair frizzled 
in the highest style of Fijiian art, tapering beards, long 
tapas of snowy native-cloth, contrasting with their own 
swarthy color and trailing on the grass, their arms and 
faces shining with cocoa-nut oil, in hand their stout and 
polished war-clubs; and, having arranged themselves in 
two divisions, a pace apart, in open distance, they raised 
with united voices a piercing war-song, in time with 
which all made the same impressive gestures. Now they 
bent back their bodies, elevating their war-clubs in the 
air, in seeming preparation for attack; then, with faces of 
determined courage, lifting higher their shrill, fierce cho- 
rus, all leaped as one man onward, as if about to meet a 
furious foe; and, at last, as if they had achieved a noble 
victory, changing to triumphal notes their yell of onset, 
with fiend-like smiles, they danced wildly about in a 
thousand intricate and changeful steps. 

Our company, being requested by several chiefs, on 
the second day of the festival, to amuse in our turn the 
assembled crowds, concluded to perform a few military 
manoeuvres. We chose one of us captain, recalled what 
we knew of soldiers' tactics, and keeping time by a 
whistled tune, in lack of better accompaniment, advanced 
in open order, and charged bayonets; marched, with 
muskets shouldered, in lock-step and solid column; 
formed a hollow square, and, finally, Wheeled into line. 
All our movements were watched with eager eyes by the 
natives, who expressed their pleasure by loud plaudits, 
to which, of course, like true soldiers, we gave slight 
heed, but, with faces unmoved, proceeded through the 



ANOTHER SHIPWRECK. 121 

manual exercise. When the order came "make ready — 
aim — fire !" one of our muskets happening to be loaded, 
discharged its contents over the heads of scores of seated 
savages, whose dismay now equalled their previous ap- 
probation. Their earnest inquiries were hardly evaded 
by assuring them that the piece was over-charged with 
powder. A few hours after the subsided consternation, 
a tree, which, from its situation, it was supposed that the 
shot must have pierced, was examined by one of the 
crew, and in it were found several deep indentures made 
by the shot, about five feet from the ground. 

Towards evening, the festival was concluded, and the 
company began to disperse. Those who had sailed to 
the ground, started to the places where the canoes were 
secured, and embarked in their little fleets in various di- 
rections. Our party sailed in pleasant company with 
others bound for Bonne Rarah. When we came within 
a few miles of this town, a burning object was discovered 
on the water, which, on a nearer approach, we found to 
be our beautiful ship, to which fire had been set by the 
savages who had remained behind, for the sake of her 
iron-work. This was a sad conclusion to the enjoyment 
experienced at the festival. The satisfaction, that we 
had felt in looking out from our lonely abode upon the 
hull of the Glide, was now taken away, and we felt more 
than ever deprived of remembrances of home. 

A few weeks after the departure for Bou of Captain 
Archer, a large double canoe arrived at Bonne Rarah, 
from which we learned that the captain and his party 
were safe ; that the brig Niagara, Capt. Brown, of Salem, 
had been wrecked on a reef midway between Overlou 
and Bou; and that her crew were now staying at this 
latter island. Thus, the two only vessels at the Fijiis at 
this time were wrecked on the same day, and in the same 
11 



122 GLOOMY REFLECTIONS. 

storm; and, very remarkably, no member of either crew 
was afterwards slain by the natives. 

A part of the crew, with our second officer and Mr. 
Carey, left us on the return of this canoe to Bou, thus 
reducing our number to sixteen men. The separation 
seemed like bidding a mutual farewell for life, narrowed 
the circle, in which our spirits were chiefly sustained by 
common sympathies and hopes, and deepened that feel- 
ing of loneliness, which previously parting with others 
had occasioned. To miss a single face which we were 
wont to see, was deeply felt. Stroke after stroke, hardly 
to be endured, seemed to be heavily falling upon us; the 
officers and crew of the Glide, once held together by 
relative duties on ship-board, and, afterwards, by the 
still stronger community of suffering, were dispersing in 
various directions, whilst the lot of those who went away, 
and of those who staid behind, was enshrouded by the 
same cloud of dark uncertainty. Some were about to 
suffer many more trials before reaching home : and of 
the return of others to their native land there has yet 
been no account. 



